Did rob reiner face backlash or support for his comments about the attempt on trump?
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Executive summary
Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in an apparent homicide; their 32-year-old son Nick has been arrested, and the deaths are under investigation [1] [2]. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social suggesting Reiner’s criticism of him — calling it “Trump Derangement Syndrome” — contributed to the killings; that post drew immediate and widespread condemnation from lawmakers, celebrities and some Republican figures [2] [3] [4].
1. The prompt that set off the storm — what Trump posted
Less than a day after the Reiners were found dead, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that Rob Reiner and his wife “passed away, … 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,” adding that Reiner “was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession” with the president [2] [5]. Multiple outlets quote the same post and note the president concluded with “May Rob and Michele rest in peace” while framing the deaths in political terms [6] [5].
2. Immediate backlash — bipartisan and cultural condemnation
The president’s post prompted swift condemnation across the political spectrum and in entertainment media. Democratic lawmakers and prominent celebrities called the remarks “disgusting,” “vile” and a “new low,” and urged restraint and respect for a grieving family [3] [7]. Media programs and columnists likewise denounced the message as politicizing a tragedy; for example, hosts on The View called the comments “shameful” and urged consideration for the family [8]. Outlets document a broad wave of outrage rather than isolated criticism [3] [8].
3. Not just Democrats — some Republicans pushed back too
Reporting shows that criticism did not come only from Democrats. Centrist and conservative Republicans publicly described Trump’s message as “inappropriate” or “disrespectful”; Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is cited as saying the post crossed a line and challenging party members to defend it [4]. Right-leaning media figures and at least a subset of Trump supporters expressed disgust or called the timing and tone unacceptable [9] [10].
4. Supporters and apologists — pockets of defense and silence
Available sources document notable pushes against the president’s post, but they also show that some of Trump’s base defended or downplayed his remarks. Raw Story and other outlets note that while many of the president’s followers were repulsed, others remained supportive or criticized the media reaction [10] [9]. Variety and Rolling Stone emphasize the president’s framing of Reiner as a long-time critic and portray how that framing resonates with his political messaging, suggesting some supporters see the post as consistent with his rhetorical style [2] [6]. Exact counts or polling on support vs. backlash are not provided in the available reporting.
5. News context — investigation and family developments
News coverage pairs the political reaction with ongoing law-enforcement developments: the Los Angeles Police Department arrested the Reiners’ son, Nick, on suspicion of murder, and authorities are continuing a homicide investigation; specifics about motive have not been released by investigators in the reporting cited here [1] [2]. Several outlets flagged that officials had released little information on motive at the time of reporting, underscoring that the president’s speculative linkage to political disagreement lacked law-enforcement corroboration in available reports [1] [5].
6. Media framing and competing narratives
Coverage shows two clear narratives: one centers on the president’s long-standing antagonism with Hollywood critics and treats his post as an extension of that conflict; the other treats the post as a politicizing and insensitive reaction to an apparent family tragedy, unacceptable across partisan lines [6] [3]. Outlets such as The Guardian and The Washington Post emphasize public moral outrage, while pieces in entertainment-focused outlets document celebrity grief and anger; some right-leaning commentators criticized Trump’s tone, indicating cross-ideological discomfort [7] [1] [9].
7. Limitations and what reporting does not yet say
Available sources do not mention any law-enforcement finding that links Reiner’s political statements to the killings; investigators had arrested the son and had not announced a motive at the time of the cited reporting [1] [2]. Precise numbers quantifying how many of Trump’s supporters approved or disapproved of his post are not in the provided material, nor are full transcripts of every public reaction; therefore assessment of national sentiment must be read as based on prominent reactions documented in the cited outlets [4] [10].
Summary: Trump’s Truth Social post blaming Rob Reiner’s “TDS” for the fatal incident triggered broad condemnation from lawmakers, celebrities and some Republicans, while a minority defended or minimized the remarks; contemporaneous reporting stresses the disconnect between the president’s political framing and the ongoing homicide investigation that had not established motive in the coverage cited [2] [3] [1].