What exact words did Rob Reiner use regarding the Trump assassination attempt?
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Executive summary
President Trump posted on Truth Social after Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead that Rob Reiner “has 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,” and called him “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented” director [1] [2]. News outlets report the same quoted language and note Trump doubled down in a press exchange, saying he “was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all” [3] [4].
1. What Trump actually wrote and where it was published
The line widely cited across outlets came from a Truth Social post in which Trump wrote: “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. 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.” Major outlets including Variety and The New York Times reproduce that phrasing verbatim [1] [3].
2. How mainstream outlets transcribed and summarized the post
The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Guardian and others quote the same Trump language about “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and report he framed Reiner’s death as linked to Reiner’s criticism of the president; they also note Trump later told reporters he “was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all” [3] [5] [6] [2] [4]. Forbes and CNBC similarly cite the Truth Social language and report his subsequent comments to reporters repeating disdain for Reiner [7] [8].
3. Immediate reactions and competing viewpoints
News coverage emphasizes broad bipartisan condemnation and calls the post “inflammatory.” Some Republican lawmakers — including Reps. Thomas Massie and Don Bacon — criticized the president’s comments as inappropriate in the face of the Reiners’ killing, while other conservative voices defended or downplayed the post by pointing to Reiner’s long record of anti‑Trump activism [8] [9] [10]. Coverage therefore presents two clear frames: that Trump politicized a family tragedy and that his supporters viewed his language as fair comment on a long‑term critic [9] [6].
4. Trump’s framing vs. available facts about the killings
Multiple outlets report the Reiners were found dead in their Los Angeles home and that their son was arrested on suspicion of murder; authorities said they are investigating the deaths as homicides but released little about motive [3] [5] [11]. Available sources do not mention any law‑enforcement finding that the killing was caused by political anger directed at Reiner or connected to his criticism of Trump; in fact, reporting links the suspect in custody to family and personal issues [3] [11].
5. Why wording matters: rhetoric, precedent and political context
Coverage notes the post echoed a pattern in which political actors frame opponents’ views as pathological (“Trump Derangement Syndrome”) and that critics see this as dehumanizing, especially after high‑profile political violence earlier in the year; CNN and others point to that broader pattern and say Trump’s post undercuts claims of civility made by his allies after earlier assassinations [6] [9]. Sources cite leaders on both sides saying the post was inappropriate in light of the recent deaths [8] [10].
6. What Trump said when pressed and how outlets reported it
When asked by reporters at the White House if he stood by the post, Trump doubled down, described Reiner in the third person as “a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned,” and reiterated “I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way shape or form,” according to WABE and Forbes reporting [4] [7]. Outlets thus show the initial social‑media phrasing was followed by face‑to‑face reinforcement.
7. Limitations, open questions and what reporting does not say
Law‑enforcement statements about motive remain limited; sources do not report an investigative determination linking the killings to Reiner’s political speech or to “Trump Derangement Syndrome” [3] [5]. Available reporting does not include the full Truth Social post beyond the quoted language reproduced above, nor does it include any additional private communications from the president explaining intent beyond his on‑camera remarks [1] [4].
Summary judgment: Multiple mainstream outlets reproduce the same Truth Social quotation and report Trump doubled down in person; news organizations consistently flag the post as inflammatory and note bipartisan rebukes, while reporting on the killings themselves indicates the suspect is a family member and offers no law‑enforcement support for Trump’s causal claim [1] [8] [3].