What did rob reiner about Trump being shot at?
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Executive summary
President Trump posted that Rob Reiner “reportedly” died because of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” blaming Reiner’s outspoken criticism of Trump for the director’s killing; news outlets report the comment was widely condemned and characterized as unsubstantiated while Los Angeles police investigate the apparent homicide and have arrested Reiner’s son [1] [2]. Multiple outlets — including AP, PBS, Axios, The Guardian and Rolling Stone — note Republicans and celebrities criticized Trump for politicizing the deaths while the LAPD treats the case as an apparent homicide [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. What Trump actually said — turning a homicide into a political label
Trump posted on social media that Rob Reiner and his wife “reportedly” died “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction” called “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” and later doubled down in remarks at the White House, calling Reiner “deranged” and saying he wasn’t a fan of him [1] [7]. News organizations uniformly describe the post as an attack that framed the killings as a political consequence of Reiner’s criticism rather than a criminal act under investigation [2] [6].
2. How newsrooms and commentators framed the post
Major outlets report Trump’s comments as unsubstantiated and inflammatory: AP coverage called the claim “unsubstantiated” and “shocking,” PBS highlighted GOP criticism, and The Hill and CNBC said the remarks drew rebukes from both politicians and cultural figures [8] [3] [1] [9]. Entertainment and culture outlets documented backlash from celebrities who called the post “disgusting” and “vile” [10] [6].
3. What authorities have said — the investigation and arrest
Reporting notes the LAPD is investigating the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife as an “apparent homicide,” and Reiner’s 32‑year‑old son Nick was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of murder, held on a multimillion‑dollar bond, according to jail records cited in the press [3] [9] [11]. Coverage emphasizes investigators had not linked any motive to politics in initial reporting [2] [9].
4. Political reaction — some GOP figures broke with the president
Several Republican voices publicly criticized Trump’s response. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie called the post inappropriate and disrespectful to a “man who was just brutally murdered,” and Axios reported some MAGA influencers urged compassion before Trump’s politicizing remarks [3] [4]. Coverage shows a split: many conservative supporters defended or ignored the post, while other Republicans and commentators found it unacceptable [4] [8].
5. Media context — pattern and public perception
News organizations placed the post in broader context of Trump’s history of attacking critics and using the “TDS” label; Forbes and Rolling Stone described it as part of a pattern of framing opponents as mentally or morally unfit, and multiple outlets said the tweet-like screed was widely condemned across the cultural and political spectrum [12] [6] [10]. Coverage also noted Reiner’s long record of public criticism of Trump, which Trump cited as justification for his claim [9] [13].
6. Where the reporting leaves open questions and limits
Available sources uniformly state the claim that Reiner’s deaths were caused by political anger is unsubstantiated; they report LAPD is investigating and that a family member is in custody, but do not present evidence tying motive to politics [2] [3]. Sources do not provide forensic or prosecutorial findings establishing motive; available sources do not mention any evidence that politics played a role beyond Trump’s assertion [9] [1].
7. Why this matters — rhetoric, responsibility and public reaction
Journalists quoted lawmakers and cultural figures who argued that politicizing a violent death risks inflaming discourse and undermines condolences; outlets framed Trump’s post as shifting focus away from a criminal investigation and the grieving family toward partisan blame [3] [4] [5]. Coverage also noted the timing: the remarks came while the LAPD was actively investigating and before motive had been publicly established [8] [11].
Summary: Trump blamed Rob Reiner’s killing on “Trump Derangement Syndrome” in a social‑media post and subsequent remarks [1] [7]. News organizations describe the claim as unsubstantiated and report bipartisan condemnation, while police treat the deaths as an apparent homicide and have arrested Reiner’s son — but reporting so far contains no verified evidence that politics motivated the killings [2] [9] [3].