What did rob Reiner say when Trump shooting occurred
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Executive summary
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social and defended comments blaming Rob Reiner’s outspoken criticism of him for the director’s killing, calling Reiner a victim of “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME” and saying Reiner had “driven people CRAZY” with a “raging obsession” — comments that drew bipartisan condemnation and prompted some Republicans to call the posts inappropriate while police continued investigating the homicide and had arrested Reiner’s son [1] [2] [3].
1. What Trump actually said — the language and platform
Trump took to Truth Social to post that Rob Reiner “reportedly” died “due to the anger he caused others” through what he labelled “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” added that Reiner had a “raging obsession” and “obvious paranoia,” and concluded “May Rob and Michele rest in peace!” — language widely described as blaming Reiner’s political attacks for the killing [2] [1] [4].
2. Immediate context: an apparent homicide under investigation
The post came as Los Angeles police were investigating the deaths of Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner as an apparent homicide; authorities had arrested their 32‑year‑old son, Nick Reiner, on suspicion of murder and booked him in connection with the case, according to reporting [5] [6] [7].
3. Political reaction: bipartisan outrage and Republican rebukes
Trump’s post prompted swift backlash across the political spectrum. Prominent Democrats and many commentators condemned the remarks as callous and inappropriate; several Republicans — including Rep. Thomas Massie and other figures — explicitly criticized the president for politicizing a violent death [8] [5] [3].
4. Media characterization and reporting consensus
Major outlets characterized Trump’s intervention as an unsubstantiated political attack delivered while the investigation was active. Reporting from NPR, The Washington Post, AP‑syndicated stories, The Guardian and others framed the claim as lacking evidence and focused on the political fallout rather than offering any verified link between Reiner’s public statements and his death [1] [7] [9] [4].
5. How Trump defended the posts when challenged
When questioned, Trump doubled down, reiterating he “wasn’t a fan of his at all” and restating that Reiner had promoted narratives about Trump that the president rejected — asserting Reiner had driven people “CRAZY” and had promoted what Trump called the “Russian hoax” — and maintained his original social‑media framing even after criticism [2] [6].
6. Alternative perspectives and underlying agendas
Supporters of Trump have used the “Trump derangement” line for years to dismiss critics; outlets on the right amplified the post as evidence of bias by cultural figures, while mainstream outlets emphasized the ethical and political costs of blaming a murder victim. Critics argue Trump’s remark serves his broader political strategy of discrediting opponents, while defenders frame it as an expression of long‑standing disdain; both reactions appear across coverage [10] [11] [3].
7. What reporting does not say — limits of available sources
Available sources do not establish any causal connection between Reiner’s public criticism of Trump and the homicide; law‑enforcement statements cited in reporting do not attribute motive to Reiner’s political views [5] [7]. Also, sources do not report Trump offering factual evidence tying the killings to “anger” over Reiner’s politics [1] [9].
8. Why this matters: norms, rhetoric and consequences
Journalistic coverage highlights a tension: political leaders typically observe restraint in the immediate aftermath of violent deaths; many outlets framed Trump’s post as a breach of that norm with potential to inflame partisan divisions and to distract from the facts of a criminal investigation [4] [3] [8].
9. Bottom line for the reader
Trump publicly blamed Rob Reiner’s vocal opposition to him for the director’s killing in a Truth Social post, using the phrase “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME” and similar rhetoric; that claim is unsubstantiated in reporting, drew bipartisan rebuke, and occurred while police were still investigating and after Reiner’s son was arrested on suspicion of murder [2] [1] [6] [7].