What were the exact words of Rob Reiner's original X post about the Trump assassination attempt?
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Executive summary
President Trump posted on Truth Social blaming Rob Reiner’s death “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,” a line quoted verbatim by multiple outlets [1] and noted in The New York Times as coming from his Truth Social post [2]. Coverage across The Guardian, Washington Post, CNN, Variety, Axios and others documents the post drew immediate bipartisan condemnation and was widely described as an attack that blamed Reiner for his own killing while authorities were still investigating [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8].
1. The exact wording published by multiple outlets
Multiple news organizations quoted the Truth Social post with identical phrasing: “Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, 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, sometimes referred to as TDS.” Variety and Deadline reproduce this passage verbatim as Trump’s post [1] [9]. The New York Times summarized the post similarly, explicitly noting he wrote that Reiner’s 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” [2].
2. Immediate media context and how outlets framed the text
News outlets uniformly framed the post as an inflammatory political attack delivered while the Reiners’ deaths were under investigation. The Washington Post and WABE characterized the claim as “unsubstantiated” and “shocking,” noting police were still investigating and the couple’s son was in custody on a murder charge [4] [10]. CNN reported Trump’s remarks followed a Truth Social post in which he suggested Reiner’s death stemmed from “Trump derangement syndrome,” and that lawmakers across parties denounced the comments [5]. The Guardian reported similar language and the backlash from celebrities and lawmakers [3] [6].
3. Political fallout: bipartisan (and intra-party) condemnation
Numerous sources document immediate blowback from both Democrats and Republicans. The Guardian and Axios cite lawmakers calling the post “inappropriate” and “disrespectful” amid an active homicide investigation [3] [8]. The Hill reports conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene rebuked Trump for suggesting a political motive, while other Republicans including Thomas Massie publicly criticized the tone of the remarks [11] [8]. Coverage underscores that even some on the right distanced themselves from mocking a recent homicide [12].
4. How the post interacts with recent events and comparisons
News outlets placed the post in a broader pattern: Trump has previously used derisive language when public figures die, and outlets tied the timing to heightened sensitivity after other political killings this year. The New York Times recalled past instances of Trump’s lack of public empathy toward rivals and noted the comments were especially striking given recent political violence; Axios and other outlets contrasted MAGA influencers’ earlier calls for restraint after an assassination with the president’s mocking tone [2] [12] [8].
5. What sources do and do not say about the original post’s provenance
Reporting consistently attributes the text to Trump’s Truth Social post and reproduces the quoted language verbatim [1] [9] [2]. Available sources do not mention any alternate or earlier draft text posted elsewhere; they do not provide a screenshot from Truth Social within these citations but cite the post’s wording as reported by journalists [1] [2].
6. Limitations, verification and why exact quoting matters
News outlets largely agree on the quoted sentence, but none of the provided sources include the native Truth Social screenshot in their stories cited here, so independent verification beyond reputable outlet reporting is not provided in these excerpts [1] [2]. Readers should note that multiple outlets reproducing identical phrasing strengthens confidence the wording is correct, but the primary source (the Truth Social post image or link) is not shown in the snippets provided [1] [9] [2].
7. Bottom line for readers
If your question is “what were the exact words,” major outlets quote the same sentence blaming Reiner’s death on “anger he caused others” via an “incurable affliction” called “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME” [1] [2]. Reporting uniformly treats the line as Trump’s Truth Social post and documents immediate bipartisan outrage while authorities continued a homicide investigation [4] [5] [8]. Available sources do not mention any materially different version of the post.