Overview
- Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead at their Brentwood home Sunday, and Los Angeles police say their son, Nick Reiner, remains in custody as the case is investigated as a homicide.
- Police have not publicly confirmed a cause of death, though several outlets cited unnamed sources reporting stab wounds, which authorities have not verified.
- Trump claimed on Truth Social that Reiner’s criticism stemmed from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and suggested it led to the killings, then reiterated at the White House that he “wasn’t a fan” and called Reiner “deranged.”
- Backlash extended across the aisle, with Republicans including Reps. Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Lawler and Stephanie Bice calling the remarks inappropriate or urging empathy.
- Fox News figures on Special Report uniformly criticized Trump’s response as beneath the office, while Speaker Mike Johnson offered condolences but declined to address the president’s comments, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker mourned the couple days after appearing with them at a fundraiser.