President Donald Trump doubled down Monday after a wave of criticism over a social media post in which he disparaged filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner following Reiner’s death, reviving the insult “Trump derangement syndrome” as lawmakers in both parties urged restraint.
Police Investigate Reiner Deaths, Son Arrested
According to a Reuters report, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead at their home on Sunday night and police arrested their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, on homicide charges. Authorities have not announced a motive.
In a Truth Social post Monday morning, Trump claimed, without evidence, that the deaths were “reportedly due to the anger he caused” through what Trump called a “mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” The President also wrote that Reiner had “driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump.”
Trump Doubles Down Amid Backlash
Asked in the Oval Office whether he stood by the post after Republican criticism, Trump said he was not a Reiner fan. Later, as per a Politico report, Trump brushed off the backlash and repeated his contempt for Reiner, telling reporters, “I think he hurt himself career-wise. He became like a deranged person,” adding, “So I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country.”
Lawmakers Condemn Post, Cite Family Tragedy
The comments triggered swift pushback, including from some Republicans. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) wrote on X, saying, “Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) added, “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) responded on X by calling Trump “a sick man,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote, “He knows no shame.”
Reiner, a longtime Democratic donor and activist, had criticized Trump since his first term, including telling Variety in 2017 that Trump was “mentally unfit.”
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