The rifts within President Trump’s coalition grew Monday as members of his own party pushed back against controversial comments he made regarding the death of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and an executive order regulating artificial intelligence (AI) nationwide.
Trump posted on social media about the death of Reiner, an actor, director and longtime critic of the president, and his wife, alleging they died as a result of “Trump derangement syndrome,” which the president and his allies regularly accuse their detractors of having.
“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 said in a post on Truth Social.
The president said Reiner “was known to have driven people crazy” and added that his “paranoia” reached new levels after the administration “exceeded expectations.” He briefly added at the end, “May Rob and Michele rest in peace!”
Reiner and his wife Michele, who was a photographer, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home Sunday in what police called an apparent homicide. Officials have said their 32-year-old son Nick Reiner has been arrested in connection with the deaths.
Nick Reiner has spoken in the past about his long history of drug abuse.
Trump’s comments are far from the first time he’s mocked or criticized a political opponent following their death. He has regularly slammed former Arizona Sen. John McCain (R), who died from cancer in 2018, and suggested in 2019 that the late Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) was in hell.
But his comments about Reiner have sparked condemnation from members of both parties.
“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said in a post on the social platform X.
“This statement is wrong,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) wrote. “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.”
Greene has increasingly been at odds with the president, while Lawler is a moderate who has been more willing than other members of his party to say when he disagrees with Trump. But the president’s comments drew criticism from those who publicly break with him less often.
“A father and mother were murdered at the hands of their troubled son. We should be lifting the family up in prayer, not making this about politics,” Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), who represents a solidly conservative district, wrote on X.
It's the latest example of Republicans splitting with Trump on certain issues, a rarity that has become more common in recent months.
▪ The Hill: Trump shocks with Reiner remarks.
▪ The Hill: Reiner’s legacy with Democrats.
The controversy comes as Trump is also dealing with a policy split within the GOP over his recent executive order to impose a national standard for AI, potentially undermining states’ laws that have already been in place.
The president argued the country needs to be unified on AI when signing the order last week, comparing the U.S. with China’s unification on the issue.
But that has added to fissures within the party, with some Republicans such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arguing it gives in to the wishes of Big Tech.
“The rise of AI is the most significant economic and cultural shift occurring at the moment; denying the people the ability to channel these technologies in a productive way via self-government constitutes federal government overreach and lets technology companies run wild,” DeSantis said on X last week.
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that Trump’s executive order has set up a battle with populist conservatives in Congress like Greene. They were successful in keeping a similar provision out of the national defense policy bill moving through Congress this week, but now Trump has gone around that process.
The president has showed no signs of backing off his stances, doubling down on his comments about Reiner while speaking to reporters later Monday. The controversy hangs over the beginning of a week in which the administration has pushed to focus on Trump's affordability message.
Vice President Vance is traveling to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to talk about affordability, while Trump is set to travel to battleground North Carolina on Friday, as former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is running for Senate.
Both Trump and Vance are looking to refocus Republicans’ message to voters as polls show declining approval of Trump’s policies heading into next year's midterms.
Trump’s trip comes after he visited Pennsylvania last week to kick off a domestic tour touting the GOP’s efforts on the economy.
▪ The Hill: Poll shows fewer MAGA Republicans ‘strongly’ support Trump.
