The deaths of celebrated filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, have shocked the Hollywood community across the United States.
But, in came controversy when US President Donald Trump publicly suggested — without evidence — that Reiner’s long-standing opposition to him had somehow contributed to the killings.
Trump’s comments, issued while police were still working to establish the circumstances surrounding the apparent double homicide, have provoked fierce condemnation from lawmakers across party lines, journalists, and even some of the president’s own allies.
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Rob Reiner, 78, an acclaimed director best known for films such as The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead at their home in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles on Sunday night.
Authorities have said the couple suffered stab wounds, and the case is being treated as a homicide.
On Monday, Los Angeles police confirmed that the Reiners’ 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner,
had been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths. His bail was set at $4 million.
Law enforcement officials have not publicly identified a motive, and investigators have stated that there is no current indication the killings were politically motivated.
US actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner. File Image/AFP
Nick Reiner, like his father, had been associated with progressive causes and previously worked for the ACLU of Southern California. He had also spoken publicly about his struggles with addiction and homelessness.
Those experiences later became the basis for the 2015 film Being Charlie,
which he worked on with his father and which was rooted in his experiences with heroin addiction.
Despite the limited information available at the time, Trump moved swiftly to publicly comment on the deaths — doing so in a manner that many critics say went far beyond what was known and crossed a line rarely breached by sitting presidents.
What did Trump say?
On Monday, Trump posted on his social media platform about the “very sad” incident in California. However, he simultaneously directed sharp attacks at Reiner, who had been a vocal critic of him for years.
In the post, Trump claimed that Reiner and his wife were killed “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.”
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Trump added that Reiner “was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness.”
Donald Trump is a disturbed, sick, narcissistic, evil, sack of shit. Rob Reiner was a better man than he’ll ever be. pic.twitter.com/CW8CO0ktR7
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) December 15, 2025
The US president did not explain what “reports” he was referring to, and police have not suggested any link between Reiner’s political views and the killings.
Trump and his allies have frequently used the phrase “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” often shortened to “TDS,” to describe critics of the president.
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As backlash mounted, Trump was asked later on Monday whether he stood by his remarks. Speaking to reporters during an unrelated White House appearance, Trump did not retreat from his earlier comments.
Using the third person, Trump said Reiner “was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned.”
“I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way shape or form,” Trump said. “I thought he was very bad for our country.”
Trump then revisited past grievances, accusing Reiner of spreading claims that he was aligned with Russia.
“He knew it was false, in fact it was the exact opposite, but he said that I was a friend of Russia, controlled by Russia, the Russia hoax, he was one of the people behind it. I think he hurt himself career-wise, he became like a deranged person,” Trump added.
The White House shared Trump’s original post on official channels but did not respond to questions seeking comment on the criticism or calls for the message to be deleted.
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Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie publicly criticised Trump’s comments, writing, “Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.”
Massie went further, challenging members of his own party to speak out. “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,” he wrote.
Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene,
who has previously clashed with Trump and whom the president once labelled a “traitor,” also pushed back.
“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” she wrote.
Greene later referenced Nick Reiner’s personal struggles, 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.”
Republican Representatives Mike Lawler of New York and Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, neither of whom are known for routinely criticising the White House, also expressed disapproval of Trump’s message.
Democratic officials were even more forceful in their condemnation. California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote bluntly on X, “This is a sick man.”
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Florida Democratic Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost echoed that sentiment, saying, “What a despicable piece of garbage.”
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy wrote, “He’s just lost it. Now saying Rob and Michele Reiner caused their own murder because they didn’t support him. So sick.”
California Representative Zoe Lofgren described Trump’s comments as “a new low for this petty, hateful man,” adding, “His party needs to condemn this.”
How did Hollywood react to Trump?
Prominent figures
from the entertainment industry also condemned Trump’s remarks, many of them speaking from personal connections to Reiner. Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger wrote on X, “What a disgusting and vile statement.”
Television host Whoopi Goldberg, who described Reiner as her friend and “quite an amazing man,” contrasted Trump’s response to his earlier comments on political violence.
Referencing Trump’s reaction to
the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Goldberg said, “I don’t understand the man in the White House. He spoke at length about Charlie Kirk and about caring, and then this is what he puts out. Have you no shame? No shame at all? Can you get any lower? I don’t think so.”
Journalists were similarly blunt. POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney wrote that “Trump is reveling in the apparent homicide of Rob Reiner,” while CNBC’s John Harwood called the US president’s post “sociopathic.”
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADHow did Rob Reiner’s political activism target Trump?
Reiner was one of the most politically active Democrats in Hollywood. Beyond his film career, he was deeply involved in liberal activism, frequently campaigning for Democratic candidates, hosting fundraisers, and speaking out on political issues.
His criticism of Trump was long-standing and explicit. In a 2017 interview with Variety at the Dubai International Film Festival, Reiner said, “Donald Trump is the single-most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States. He is mentally unfit. Not only does he not understand how government works, he has no interest in trying to find out how it works.”
He also warned of broader consequences for democracy if Trump returned to office. Speaking to The Guardian, Reiner said, “We see autocracy making its move around the world. If we [the US] crumble, there’s a danger that democracy crumbles around the world.”
Despite his fierce opposition to Trump and far-right movements, Reiner consistently condemned political violence.
After the assassination of Kirk earlier this year, he said, “It’s beyond belief what happened to him. That should never happen to anybody. I don’t care what your political beliefs are. That’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems.”
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In 2022, after Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer by an intruder at the couple’s San Francisco home, Trump later mocked the assault.
By contrast, following the killing of Kirk earlier this year, Trump described the incident as “the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree.”
His administration subsequently sought consequences for individuals who criticised Kirk or referenced his history of hostile rhetoric toward immigrants, women and other marginalised groups.
At Kirk’s memorial service, Trump again used the occasion to frame his worldview, declaring, “I hate my opponent.”
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis highlighted what she described as a glaring double standard. In a post on X, she wrote that Trump’s reaction to Reiner’s death was “NOT the appropriate response.”
“The Right uniformly condemned political and celebratory responses to Charlie Kirk’s death. This is a horrible example from Trump (and surprising considering the two attempts on his own life) and should be condemned by everyone with any decency,” Ellis added.
Is Trump connected to Reiner?
Trump has a small but personal connection to Michele Singer Reiner. Before her marriage, she was a professional photographer who took the photograph used on the cover of Trump’s 1987 bestseller The Art of the Deal.
Peter Osnos, the original publisher of the book, confirmed that Michele Singer shot the image.
Reiner himself had previously spoken about the moment in an interview with Politico, saying, “My wife, Michele, who is a professional photographer – she took the photo that’s on the cover of the book The Art of the Deal.”
Reiner also recalled details of the shoot, saying, “They were up on this high-rise that he was constructing, and they were going to take the pictures overlooking [New York City’s] Central Park. And the wind was blowing, and he said, ‘I got to get this hairspray, you know, I need this special hairspray.’”
Trump did not reference this connection in any of his comments following the killings.
With inputs from agencies
HomeExplainersRob Reiner died due to ‘Trump derangement syndrome’. Is this the US president’s most vile remark yet?End of Article