“Trump says Rob Reiner, victim of possible homicide, died of ‘Trump derangement syndrome’”, The Hill
BY JULIA MANCHESTER – 12/15/25 10:34 AM ET
President Trump weighed in on the apparent homicide of director Rob Reiner and his wife in a Truth Social post Monday, suggesting the cause of death was reportedly “Trump derangement syndrome” which drew criticism from some fellow Republicans.
“A very sad thing happened last night 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, 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 wrote.
Multiple outlets reported Monday that Reiner’s son was arrested in connection to the deaths. Nick Reiner had a long history of drug abuse that he has spoken about publicly over the last several years.
In his social media post, Trump went on to say Reiner “was known to have driven people crazy” with his obsession of Trump, adding that Reiner’s “paranoia” reached “new heights” as the administration “surpassed all goals and expectations.”
“May Rob and Michele rest in peace!” the president concluded.
Reiner — a Democrat and donor — and his wife were found stabbed to death in their home Sunday afternoon.
The director was an outspoken critic of the president and repeatedly warned against Trump’s impact on democracy.
“Make no mistake. We have a year before this country becomes a full on autocracy and democracy completely leaves us,” Reiner told the MSNBC, now known as MS NOW, in September.
In a separate interview with the Guardian in February 2024, Reiner called Trump “a criminal” who “basically lies every minute of his life.”
Trump’s reaction to Reiner’s death sparked backlash from his critics.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said in an X post that the president’s statement “was wrong.”
“Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son. It’s a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period,” Lawler wrote.
In a post on X, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal Republican Trump critic, called Trump’s comments “inappropriate and disrespectful.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) noted Nick Reiner’s long history with drug abuse, calling the deaths “a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”
Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder,” she posted on X.
Democratic figures, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Obama, took to social media to offer their condolences to the Reiner family following the news.
“Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action,” Obama wrote on the social platform X.