Harsh comments from Donald Trump about the recently deceased Rob Reiner spark immense backlash

Donald Trump sparked heavy backlash after commenting on the deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. The president posted while police were still sharing only early details of a homicide investigation in Los Angeles.

Instead of keeping his message to condolences, Donald Trump framed the tragedy through Reiner’s years of criticism of him and invoked “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The remarks spread fast, and the pushback was unusually bipartisan for a breaking-news moment. The dispute also reopened a long public history between Trump and Reiner, since Reiner had criticized him for years. Even his ex-lawyer Jenna Ellis re-tweeted on his Truth Social post, writing,

"A man and his wife were murdered last night. This is NOT the appropriate response....This is a horrible example from Trump"

The underlying story remains a criminal case. Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Brentwood home on Sunday, December 14, 2025, and authorities later arrested their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, in connection with the killings.

What did Trump say about Rob Reiner?

Trump’s post landed before officials had released many details beyond the basic case status and custody updates. As per the Los Angeles Police Department newsroom release dated December 15, 2025, detectives arrested Nick Reiner on Sunday night and booked him for murder, with police listing him as held with no bail.

Donald Trump addressed the death publicly on Truth Social on December 15, 2025 and argued that Rob Reiner’s politics had fueled anger around him. Rob was a known democrat in Hollywood circles. Donald Trump wrote that Reiner died “due to the anger he caused others.”The same post referenced “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME” and portrayed Reiner as “tortured and struggling.” He also said,

"He 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, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!"

Authorities have not publicly stated a motive, and Trump’s post did not cite evidence linking politics to the killings. As per a CBS News report dated December 15, 2025, police initially listed Nick Reiner as held on $4 million bail before later saying he was being held without bail. Officials said the case was expected to be presented to prosecutors for filing consideration.

After criticism spread, Donald Trump defended his wording in remarks to reporters. As per a Reuters report dated December 15, 2025, Trump said he wasn't a fan in particular when asked about Rob Reiner. That follow-up extended the controversy by keeping the focus on his feud with Rob Reiner rather than the investigation.

Backlash explodes after Trump’s post, with critics calling it cruel and inappropriate

Critics argued the message treated a family tragedy as political theater. Republican Don Bacon said,

“It is not Presidential.”

Some Republicans also criticized the post directly, saying it crossed a basic line of decency. The MAGA supporters under the Truth Social post were also enraged, with one stating,

"Terrible response to this tragedy. Unbecoming of the Office of the President. I voted for you three times but this is beyond the pale."

As per an ABC News report dated December 15, 2025, Republican Mike Lawler wrote in an X post,

“Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son. It’s a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period”

Republican Thomas Massie wrote,

“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.”

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote,

“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,.”

The reaction also split into entertainment coverage. As per The Independent report dated December 16, 2025, while discussing the comments on The View. Whoopi Goldberg said,

“Could he get any lower,”

The backlash grew because official channels amplified the message. As per a Reuters report dated December 15, 2025, the White House reposted Donald Trump’s comments on its “Rapid Response” X account.

Why Donald Trump went after Reiner, and the long political history behind their feud

Rob Reiner had spent years criticizing Trump in interviews and online, and Donald Trump has repeatedly treated that kind of criticism as a personal and political target. As per the Reuters report dated December 15, 2025, Reiner called Trump “mentally unfit” during Trump’s first term and described him as uniquely unqualified for the job in a 2017 interview.

Reiner was also a long-time Democratic activist. As per the CalMatters report dated December 15, 2025, he backed Proposition 10, the tobacco-tax initiative that funded statewide early-childhood programs, and he later championed a universal preschool ballot measure. Rob Reiner joined the Committee to Investigate Russia after Trump’s 2017 inauguration.

Stay tuned for more updates.