In brief
President Trump has come under fire after repeating his derogatory remarks about the late director Rob Reiner, who was known for his anti-Trump stance. Reiner and his wife were tragically found dead in their Los Angeles home, leading to a swift condemnation of Trump's comments from fellow Republicans and the public alike.
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 since the president returned to the White House in January, 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. He added: 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.
Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was once a staunch supporter of Trump before recently becoming a frequent critic, said that this is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies and that the murders should be met with empathy.
Hours after his social media post, Trump repeated his thoughts on Reiner in comments given in the Oval Office to reporters, describing the director as a deranged person who was partly behind previous claims of collusion between Russia and Trump's team.
Reiner was a lifelong Democrat and prominent liberal activist, frequently speaking out against Trump. Hours after his social media post, Trump reiterated his criticisms of Reiner, describing him in disparaging terms.
