Recommended
President Donald Trump blamed the actor-director's murder on his vocal opposition to the president on Monday, making an unsubstantiated claim in a shocking post that seemed intended to criticize his opponents even in the face of a tragedy.
The statement, even by Trump's standards, was a shocking comment that came while police were still investigating the deaths of the beloved director and his wife as an apparent homicide. The couple was found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds, and the couple's son, Nick Reiner, was in police custody as of Monday morning.
Trump has a long history of incendiary comments, but his remarks in a social media post were a drastic departure from the role typically played by presidents in offering a message of comfort or tribute following the death of a public figure. His message also exposed Trump's unwillingness to rise above political grievances during times of crisis.
In a post on his social media network, Trump said Reiner and his wife were murdered "supposedly because of the anger he caused in others through his massive, unwavering, and incurable affliction with a mental illness known as TRUMP OBSESSION SYNDROME."
He stated that Reiner "was known for driving people crazy with his unbridled obsession with President Donald J. Trump, and his obvious paranoia reached new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness."
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has challenged much of his party's unanimous agreement with the president, criticized Trump for the comment.
"Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who has just been brutally murdered," Massie wrote in a post on X. "I suppose my elected Republican colleagues, the Vice President, and White House staff will just ignore it because they are afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it."
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican whom Trump once labeled a "traitor" for disagreeing with him, responded to Trump's message, saying: "This is a family tragedy, it is not about politics or political enemies."
Reiner was one of the most active Democrats in the film industry, regularly campaigning for liberal causes and organizing fundraisers. He was a vocal critic of Trump, calling him "mentally unfit" to be president and "the least qualified human being to assume the presidency of the United States" in a 2017 interview with Variety.
The insensitive message was the latest example of the unrelenting prism through which Trump views those he perceives as enemies.
He made retribution against political enemies a primary focus of his campaign for the White House last year. And in the past, he has mocked violence when it has befallen those on the other side of the political spectrum.
When Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked by an intruder looking for the former House Speaker at the family's home in San Francisco in 2022 and was struck in the head with a hammer, Trump later mocked the attack.
This comes despite his comments following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this year. Trump stated that Kirk's murder was "the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree."
His administration later sought consequences for people who criticized Kirk or celebrated his murder.
When Trump spoke at Kirk's funeral, he used his remarks to underscore how he views his adversaries.
"I hate my opponent," the president said.
[Publicidad]