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US President Donald Trump has reiterated his criticism of Rob Reiner after his comments about the killing of the Hollywood director, a longtime Trump critic, sparked widespread condemnation.
The US president, who told reporters the director was “very bad for our country”, had earlier written in The Truth Society that Reiner’s death was linked to “Trump Derangement Syndrome” – a term he often uses to describe his critics.
Renner and his wife Michelle Singer Renner were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, and police arrested their son Nick on suspicion of murder.
They have not suggested any motive in the case, and there is no evidence that Lehner’s politics and criticism of Trump played any role.
Trump, who called the couple’s deaths “very sad” in a social media post, criticized Lehner, saying: “It’s no secret that his obsessive obsession with President Donald J. Trump drives people crazy.”
The comments were widely criticized, including by prominent Republicans.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican who has clashed with Trump since his return to the White House in January, wrote on
He added: “I think my elected Republican colleagues, the vice president and the White House staff are going to ignore it out of fear? I challenge anyone to defend it.”
Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former staunch supporter of Trump who has become a frequent critic of late, said “this is a family tragedy that has nothing to do with politics or political opponents” and that the murder should be “treated with empathy.”
Several other senior members of Trump’s own party appeared to distance themselves from the remarks. Republican Senator John Kennedy, who represents Louisiana, said he believed Trump should not have made the comments.
“I think a wise man once said nothing. Why? Because he was a wise man,” Kennedy said. “I don’t think President Trump should say anything. I think when the president says these things, it undermines his policy achievements.”
Reiner is a lifelong Democrat and prominent liberal activist who has often spoken out against Trump.
In 2017, for example, he called Trump “mentally unfit” to hold public office. As recently as October, Reiner said he believed Trump was ushering in an era of “total dictatorship” in the United States.
Hours after his social media post, Trump reiterated his views on Lehner in comments to reporters in the Oval Office, calling Lehner a “demented individual” who was partly “behind the scenes” in previous allegations of collusion between Russia and Trump’s team.
“I’m not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape or form,” he said.
Trump has criticized political enemies in the past after their deaths.
For example, after the death of Arizona Senator John McCain in 2019, with whom he frequently clashed, Trump said he had “never been a fan” of McCain and “never will be.”
In another incident that same year, Trump quipped that the late Democratic congressman John Dingell might be “looking up” at him from his grave, a comment that was widely interpreted as suggesting that Dingell was in hell.
After the comments about Dingell, the White House issued a statement saying the president was “just winging it.”
Renner, 78, is known for directing a number of iconic films across genres, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “Misery” and “A Few Good Men.”
In 1989 he married actress, photographer and producer Michele, whom he later recalled having met on the set of “When Harry Met Sally,” one of his most famous films. The couple have three children, including 32-year-old Nick.
Michelle, 68, owns the Reiner Light photography agency and production company.
