President Donald Trump is facing backlash from top conservatives, politicians, and Christians for comments he made on Truth Social on Monday in response to the gruesome deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
According to reports, the couple’s son, Nick Reiner, was charged with the murder of his parents on Tuesday. The Reiners were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday with multiple stab wounds. The 32-year-old son reportedly struggled with addiction for years and is being held without bail.
Rob Reiner is an Academy Award-winning director, most notably recognized for films such as “A Few Good Men,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “The American President.”
Over the years, the 78-year-old Hollywood icon had been highly critical of Trump, calling him “mentally unfit” and “the single most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States.”
Trump responded to the tragic news of the Hollywood couple writing on Truth Social:
“A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, 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, sometimes referred to as TDS. 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!”
A number of the president’s supporters joined his critics in blasting his comments, calling them “disgusting,” “vile,”and “shameful.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) told reporters the president should have just stayed silent.
“A wise man once said nothing. Why? Because he’s a wise man. I think President Trump should have said nothing,” he told CNN.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) condemned his post.
“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” Greene wrote on X. “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.”
Meanwhile, some Christian leaders say they are disappointed by the president’s comments.
Even those who support the president, like conservative influencer Allie Beth Stuckey, were lost for words over the president’s comments.
She wrote on social media, “With Trump, you could either get a really sweet, compassionate moment like when he heard that RBG, who hated him, died, or you could get the kind of post he put out about Rob Reiner. Hard to ever know what to expect.”
Christian influencer Jon Root wrote on X, “Rob Reiner was an enemy of Trump, said many awful things about him, but there’s no justification to stomp on someone’s grave like this.”
Former ESPN host turned podcaster Sage Steele said the president’s words were “so unnecessary. It’s comments like this that take away from the countless great things @realDonaldTrump does for America.”
Tom Buck, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lindale, Texas, said the post was a missed opportunity for the president.
“Truly sad to see @POTUS respond to Rob Reiner’s murder in the shameful way he did,” he said online. “He had an opportunity to model grace and mercy in the face of wickedness. I despised Reiner’s politics, but every life should be treated with dignity. I pray those around Trump will correct him.”
Others called for the president’s supporters to simply pray for him.
Owen Strachan, director of OneGospel Ministries, said, “A man of courage and action, President Trump has done so many good things. But we see in comments like this that he is a sinner just like us who needs Christ just as we do.”
“We all naturally hate our enemies—but the gospel frees us from this prison, praise God. Pray for him!” Strachan added.
Lila Rose, the president and founder of Live Action, and a devout Catholic, simply encouraged the president to remove the post.
“President Trump, preserve the dignity of your office. Take this down,” she wrote.
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