Donald Trump has suggested that the death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were due to the Oscar-nominated director’s “paranoia” and “obsession” with the president.
“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 in an insensitive post on Truth Social Monday.
The 78-year-old and his wife, 68, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home Sunday evening. The couple’s son Nick Reiner has since been taken into custody.
The tone of Trump’s post varied wildly, describing the situation as “very sad” before going on to blast the actor – who has known to have been a vocal critic of the current administration.
“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!” he wrote.
Prior to his death, Reiner had consistently blasted Trump and his ability to serve as president, telling Variety in 2017 that he was “the single-most unqualified human-being to ever assume the Presidency of the United States.
“He is mentally unfit. Not only does he not understand how government works, he has no interest in trying to find out how it works,” Reiner told the outlet, following the release of his biopic “LBJ.”
In October, during an interview with MSNBC, Reiner even issued a call to action to high-profile figures against Trump and saying it was “our job now” to push back against the president’s actions, following the mobilization of the National Guard in multiple major cities across the country and Trump’s attacks on free speech.
“It’s beyond McCarthy era-esque,” Reiner said. “That feels quaint compared to what’s going on in America right now. The Hollywood community is very much aware of their First Amendment rights being infringed. So, we’re well aware of what’s happening.
“But our job now, as communicators, is to start communicating to the rest of the country, to let them know what is going to happen to them.”
The bodies of Reiner and his wife were reportedly discovered by their daughter Romy, who lives nearby. The deaths are being investigated as homicides.
Nick Reiner, the celebrity couple’s son, was arrested at 9.15 p.m. Sunday, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records show, and is being held on $4 million bail.
The 32-year-old has been charged with a felony but no other details were immediately available.
