President Donald Trump has been slammed after doubling down on shocking comments about the murder of acclaimed director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
The 78-year-old filmmaker and liberal activist, known for classics like Stand By Me and This is Spinal Tap, was found dead alongside his wife in their Los Angeles mansion on Sunday (December 14).
Police later arrested their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, on suspicion of murder. According to the LAPD, both victims suffered stab wounds, and there were no signs of forced entry.
But even before authorities confirmed the couple's deaths as a homicide, Trump took to Truth Social with his own theory - claiming Reiner’s murder was somehow tied to what he called "Trump Derangement Syndrome," a term he uses to mock his critics.
"A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood,” Trump wrote in his post. “Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
He added: “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump… May Rob and Michele rest in peace!”
Republicans hit back: 'Inappropriate and disrespectful'
The bizarre post triggered a wave of outrage - including from within Trump’s own party.
“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered,” Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie posted on X. “I guess my elected GOP colleagues, the VP, and White House staff will just ignore it because they're afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene - once a loyal Trump ally - also tore into the president, saying: “Rob Reiner and his wife were tragically killed at the hands of their own son, who reportedly had drug addiction and other issues, and their remaining children are left in serious mourning and heartbreak.”
She said that the couple's death is a "family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies," adding: "Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues… It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy, especially when it ends in murder.”
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana chimed in: “I think a wise man once said nothing. Why? Because he was a wise man. I think President Trump should have said nothing," per BBC News.
Despite the outcry, Trump repeated his thoughts again to reporters in the Oval Office. “I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape or form,” he said. “He was a deranged person” who was partly “behind” past claims of collusion with Russia.
Reiner’s political views had made headlines long before his death. A lifelong Democrat, he was one of Trump’s most vocal critics in Hollywood.
The filmmaker married his wife in 1989 and had three children, including Nick, who remains in custody as the prime suspect.
Their adopted daughter, Tracy Reiner, an actress known for roles in A League of Their Own and Apollo 13, told NBC News: “I came from the greatest family ever… I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”
Former president Barack Obama shared his condolences on X, writing: “Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele… They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired.”
In a recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel's show, Michelle Obama revealed she and Barack were scheduled to dine with Rob and Michele on the evening the couple was found dead at their Los Angeles home.
She implicitly criticised the president's remarks by describing the late couple as "decent, courageous people" who were passionate about their family, country, and fairness, and said they were "not deranged or crazed".
"In a time when there’s not a lot of courage going on, they were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about. And they cared about their family, and they cared about this country, and they cared about fairness and equity. And that is the truth; I do know them," she added.