President Donald Trump drew bipartisan criticism after he responded to the killings of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner, by blaming Reiner’s long-running attacks on him. In a Truth Social post Monday, Trump called Reiner “tortured and struggling” and claimed, without providing evidence, that the couple died because Reiner had stoked anger through what Trump labeled “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” The White House’s “Rapid Response” account reposted the message on X, pulling official government messaging into a family tragedy.
The deaths remain under investigation in Los Angeles. Police said the couple, ages 78 and 68, were found Sunday afternoon at their Brentwood home with apparent stab wounds. Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested later that night on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail, authorities said. Detectives said they plan to present the case to prosecutors Tuesday for a charging decision, and officials have not described a motive.
Trump doubled down when asked about the post, telling reporters he was “not a fan” of Reiner and calling him “deranged.” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said Trump’s statement was “inappropriate and disrespectful” so soon after a man was killed. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene urged people to treat the episode as a family tragedy rather than a political fight. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged public figures to “appeal to our better angels,” while Democrats branded the post “heartless” and former Obama adviser David Axelrod wrote that it showed a lack of empathy for the Reiner family.
Reiner, who acted on “All in the Family” and later directed films including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride” and “A Few Good Men,” had become one of Trump’s most visible Hollywood critics. Trump’s reaction has sharpened scrutiny on how quickly high-profile figures turn homicide news into partisan ammunition while investigators work in silence. The uproar has also revived memories of the reaction after the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, when Trump and many Republicans demanded restraint from opponents who discussed Kirk’s rhetoric in the aftermath.
