US President Donald Trump has repeated his criticism of Rob Reiner - after his earlier remarks about the killed Hollywood director, a longtime Trump critic, sparked widespread condemnation. The US president told reporters the director was 'very bad for our country', having earlier written on Truth Social that Reiner's death was linked to 'Trump derangement syndrome' - a term he often uses to describe his critics.
Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday, and police have arrested their son Nick on suspicion of murder. They have not suggested any motive in the case, or any evidence that Reiner's politics and criticism of Trump played any role.
In his social media post, which called the couple's deaths 'very sad', Trump criticised Reiner, saying: 'He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump.' Those comments were widely criticised, including by prominent Republicans.
Kentucky representative Thomas Massie, a Republican who has clashed with Trump, wrote on X: 'Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.' Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene remarked that 'this is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies' and that the murders should be 'met with empathy'.
Multiple other senior members of Trump's party appeared to distance themselves from the remarks. Senator John Kennedy suggested that Trump should have kept his comments to himself, stating that they detracted from his policy achievements.
Reiner, who was a lifelong Democrat and prominent liberal activist, was known for directing iconic films like 'This is Spinal Tap' and 'Stand By Me'. Hours after his social media post, Trump described the director as a 'deranged person' in comments given in the Oval Office, further emphasizing his long-standing feud with the filmmaker.
Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday, and police have arrested their son Nick on suspicion of murder. They have not suggested any motive in the case, or any evidence that Reiner's politics and criticism of Trump played any role.
In his social media post, which called the couple's deaths 'very sad', Trump criticised Reiner, saying: 'He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump.' Those comments were widely criticised, including by prominent Republicans.
Kentucky representative Thomas Massie, a Republican who has clashed with Trump, wrote on X: 'Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.' Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene remarked that 'this is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies' and that the murders should be 'met with empathy'.
Multiple other senior members of Trump's party appeared to distance themselves from the remarks. Senator John Kennedy suggested that Trump should have kept his comments to himself, stating that they detracted from his policy achievements.
Reiner, who was a lifelong Democrat and prominent liberal activist, was known for directing iconic films like 'This is Spinal Tap' and 'Stand By Me'. Hours after his social media post, Trump described the director as a 'deranged person' in comments given in the Oval Office, further emphasizing his long-standing feud with the filmmaker.
