Did Rob Reiner say that he wished Trump's would have killed him
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead and their son was arrested on suspicion of murder; President Trump posted that Reiner’s death was “reportedly due to the anger he caused others” and blamed “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a claim widely denounced as inserting politics into a family tragedy [1] [2]. Multiple outlets report Trump doubled down when questioned and that authorities have not tied the couple’s politics to the killings [1] [2].
1. What Trump actually wrote and said
In a Truth Social post, the president called Reiner “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director” and wrote that his death was “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,” language later repeated by Trump when asked at the White House [3] [1]. News organizations transcribed and published the post and subsequent remarks in full, making the president’s comments a matter of public record [3] [2].
2. Did Reiner say he wished Trump would have killed him? — What sources say
Available sources do not report Rob Reiner saying he wished “Trump would have killed him.” The coverage centers on Trump’s comments about Reiner after Reiner’s death and Reiner’s long history as a vocal Trump critic, not on any statement in which Reiner expressed a desire to be killed by Trump [4] [5]. Major outlets note Reiner’s fierce criticism of Trump’s policies and rhetoric, including warnings about authoritarian risk, but none cite Reiner as saying he wanted to be killed by the president [4] [6].
3. How reporting frames Reiner’s public criticism of Trump
Profiles and reporting summarize Reiner as a longstanding Democratic advocate who warned about Trump’s influence; examples include Reiner saying the country could become “a full-on autocracy” within a year and calling Trump “mentally unfit” in earlier years — statements that contextualize why Trump and Reiner were political adversaries [6] [4]. Coverage treats those critiques as background for why Trump targeted him in the social-media post, not as evidence of any violent wish on Reiner’s part [4].
4. Immediate reactions and political context
Trump’s post drew bipartisan condemnation; lawmakers and celebrities criticized what many called an inappropriate politicization of a brutal family tragedy [7] [2]. Some conservative commentators defended or downplayed the post, but major outlets record swift backlash from Republicans and Democrats alike, and note figures urging empathy for the Reiners’ surviving family [7] [8].
5. What authorities say about motive
Law-enforcement statements reported in the coverage indicate police are investigating the deaths as homicides and arrested the Reiners’ 32‑year‑old son on suspicion of murder; outlets explicitly state there is no indication from authorities that politics motivated the killings [1] [2]. Reporting emphasizes the arrest and investigative posture rather than any external political motive [1] [2].
6. Misinformation risk and what to watch for next
Because the president’s post linked political animus to a real-world killing, it created fertile ground for misattribution and rumor. Readers should treat any claim that Reiner “wished” to be killed by Trump as unsupported unless an original source is cited; current reporting does not contain such a quote [6] [4]. Verify any future attributions against primary reporting from police or established outlets cited above [1] [2].
7. Bottom line: what can be asserted and what cannot
It is factual and documented that Trump publicly blamed Reiner’s politics for his death and later reiterated his dislike of Reiner [3] [9]. It is not supported by the provided reporting that Rob Reiner ever said he wished Trump would have killed him — that claim is not found in current coverage and therefore should be treated as unverified until sources produce evidence [4] [6].
Limitations and transparency: this analysis uses only the supplied news excerpts and articles; other reporting may exist beyond these sources that could change the factual picture, but those are not available in the materials provided here [1] [2].