Overview
- On an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience released Dec. 25, Rogan told guest Shane Gillis there was “no justification” for Trump’s reaction to Rob Reiner’s killing and likened it to people celebrating the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
- Trump posted a mocking message on Truth Social less than a day after the Reiners were found dead, then later doubled down at a White House press conference by calling Reiner “deranged.”
- Rogan argued the response lacked empathy, said the president should not have posted at all, and suggested the outcry would have been far greater if Barack Obama had said something similar.
- The rebuke carries added weight because Rogan hosted and endorsed Trump in 2024 and has since grown increasingly critical of the president on multiple issues.
- The criminal case continues as Rob and Michele Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, faces two counts of first-degree murder with an arraignment set for Jan. 7, 2026, while celebrities and commentators across the spectrum have condemned Trump’s remarks.