Donald Trump Faces Backlash Over Comments on Late Director Rob Reiner

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United States president Donald Trump has faced fierce backlash after he mocked Rob Reiner, the actor and legendary director, in the wake of his death.

Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday.

Their son, Nick Reiner, who had struggled with substance abuse, has been arrested on homicide charges and is being held on a US$4 million ($6 million) bond.

Rob Reiner, celebrated for directing cherished films such as “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Princess Bride,” and “Stand By Me,” has left a lasting impact on cinema.

In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, Trump commented on Reiner, saying, “Rob Reiner, once a talented director and comedic figure, has passed away along with his wife, Michele. It is reported that his demise was linked to the turmoil he caused due to his severe, unrelenting struggle with a mental condition often dubbed TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, or TDS.”

As tributes poured in from entertainers and politicians, Trump unleashed an extraordinary broadside, suggesting that Reiner brought on his own murder by criticising the US president.

Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered deceased in their residence. Source: Getty / Walter McBride/WireImage

Rob and Michele Reiner in front of a black background

Known for his outspoken political stance, Reiner, a staunch Democrat, shared with Variety in 2017 his view that Trump was “mentally unfit” and described him as “the single most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States.”

Republican backlash

The comments were strongly criticised by two prominent right-wing Republicans, including congressman Thomas Massie.

“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered,” wrote Massie, who serves a House of Representatives district in Kentucky.

“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” wrote congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Both Massie and Taylor Greene are Trump critics, a rarity within his party.

Reiner’s death triggered an outpouring of tributes from prominent Democrats, including former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, and former vice president Kamala Harris.