U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked widespread criticism after issuing a pointed statement following the deaths of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who were found dead in their Los Angeles home over the weekend.In a post on Truth Social, Trump linked Reiner’s death to what he described as the filmmaker’s long-standing opposition to him, writing that the director had suffered from “a mind crippling disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome.”“A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood,” Trump wrote. “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.”.Trump went on to say Reiner had “driven people crazy” with what he called a “raging obsession” with the president, before concluding, “May Rob and Michele rest in peace.”The remarks drew sharp criticism online, with many users accusing Trump of politicizing a tragic death. Several widely shared responses described the comments as inappropriate given the circumstances surrounding the case.Los Angeles police have said they are investigating the deaths as an apparent homicide and have cautioned that the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive..Online jail records show the couple’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested Sunday night and is being held in Los Angeles County jail on $4 million bail. Police have not publicly announced formal charges.Nick Reiner has spoken publicly in the past about long-term struggles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness. Those experiences later formed the basis of the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which he co-wrote and which was directed by his father. The film has resurfaced online in recent days as public attention has focused on the investigation.Rob Reiner, a New York native, was one of Hollywood’s most successful directors from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, directing films including The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me, Misery, and A Few Good Men. .He was also a prominent liberal activist and a longtime critic of Trump, once calling him “the single most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency” in a 2016 interview with Variety.Tributes to Reiner and his wife have poured in from across the entertainment and political worlds. Author Stephen King, whose works Stand By Me and Misery were adapted by Reiner, described him as a “brilliant filmmaker” and close friend. Former president Barack Obama also issued a statement praising Reiner’s career and public advocacy..In a brief statement, a spokesperson for the Reiner family confirmed the deaths and requested privacy, calling the loss “sudden and devastating.”Police say further information will be released as the investigation continues.
