Rob Reiner was a ‘deranged person, very bad for our country': Trump doubles down, faces backlash, even from Republicans

As the world mourned the death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer, US President Donald Trump ridiculed the legendary Hollywood actor-filmmaker as a “deranged person,” for which he faced heated backlash, even from the Republicans.

However, despite the criticism, the US President maintained his stance about the murdered Hollywood impresario, while also doubling down on him as someone who was “very bad for the country”.

Rob Reiner was a longtime Democratic donor and critic of Trump.

What did Donald Trump say about Rob Reiner?

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump on Monday mocked the couple’s death as a “very sad thing” that happened 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,” he wrote.

“…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,” Trump added in the sharply worded post.

In a separate post, Trump wrote: “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before.”

Following backlash from both the Democrats and the Republicans, Trump maintained his stance when the media asked him about it at an event in the Oval Office.

“I wasn’t a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned,” a Bloomberg report quoted him as saying. “I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all in any way, shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country,” he added.

‘This is wrong, regardless of one’s political views’: Trump faces backlash

After Trump's passionately hateful posts for Rob Reiner, several House Republicans and conservative personalities pushed back on his comments.

In an X post, New York Republican Representative Mike Lawler said, “This statement is wrong. Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son.”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and former Trump loyalist who has publicly broken with the president in recent weeks, called for empathy. “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” she posted on X.

Conservative commentator Erick Erickson drew parallels with the calls for civility after the September assassination of Charlie Kirk.

“All of those people who lost their jobs for their disgusting tweets about Charlie Kirk’s assassination are staring at the President of the United States’ social media account in disbelief,” Erickson wrote.

How did Rob Reiner die?

Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele, 70, were found dead in their Brentwood home on Sunday after suffering stab wounds. Celebrity news website TMZ said the couple's daughter was the first to find her slain parents.

The Los Angeles Police Department said its investigation “determined that the Reiners were the victims of homicide” and their son “was responsible for their deaths.”

Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested on Monday. No charges were listed in the arrest, according to the booking statement; however, bail was set at $4 million.

Homicide detectives would present their case on Tuesday to the county district attorney's office to consider formal charges, Reuters reported, quoting the police.

Local media reported that Nick had been spotted arguing with his parents on Saturday night at a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien.

(With agency inputs)