President Donald Trump has faced widespread condemnation after blaming the death of director Rob Reiner on what he called the filmmaker’s “mind-crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME”. Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday; their son Nick has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
In a social media post, Trump described Reiner as “tortured and struggling” and claimed he died “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction”. The president then pivoted to praising his own achievements, asserting that the “Golden Age of America” was upon the country. Later, at a White House event, Trump doubled down, calling Reiner “a deranged person” and repeating false claims about a “Russia hoax”.
The remarks drew sharp rebukes from both Democrats and Republicans. Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger called them “disgusting and vile”, while Whoopi Goldberg challenged Trump’s lack of shame. California Governor Gavin Newsom described the president as “a sick man”, and Senator Chris Murphy said Trump had “lost it”. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene stressed that the tragedy was “not about politics or political enemies”, and fellow Republican Thomas Massie deemed the comments “inappropriate and disrespectful”.
Reiner had long been a vocal critic of Trump, previously calling him “mentally unfit” and warning of democratic decline. The couple’s son Nick, 32, was arrested on Monday and is being held on $4m bail pending further investigation.
