Camilla Jessen
Shock and anger after Trump’s reaction to Reiner tragedy.
Donald Trump is facing backlash after appearing to mock the late filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, following their deaths in what police are investigating as a double homicide.
Reiner remembered as political force
Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home on Sunday.
LAPD detectives confirmed the incident is being treated as an apparent homicide. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been taken into custody and is being held on a $4 million bond.
Reiner was not only an acclaimed director and actor, but also a prominent political advocate in California.
Known for supporting same-sex marriage, early childhood education, and Democratic candidates, he was a long-time and outspoken critic of Donald Trump.
In interviews over the years, Reiner called Trump “mentally unfit,” “the least Christian guy you could meet,” and “a criminal,” saying voters would be better off with an “old” president than one “indicted 91 times.”
Trump responds with inflammatory post
On Tuesday, Trump issued a statement on Truth Social that shocked even long-time observers, suggesting—without evidence—that Reiner’s death was somehow linked to what he called “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“Rob Reiner… has passed away, together with his wife Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” Trump wrote.
He added that Reiner “drove people CRAZY” with his criticism of the president.
The remark drew immediate condemnation.
Public figures react with anger
Critics described the president’s comments as deeply inappropriate given the circumstances.
One X user wrote: “This is disgusting and shameful. A new low for Trump.”
Commentator Brian Krassenstein called the post “the most disgusting” Trump has ever made, while Democratic strategist Max Burns said it was a “monstrosity,” adding that Republicans had demanded expressions of sympathy when conservative figure Charlie Kirk was killed earlier this year.
Police say the homicide probe is still in its early stages.
