By Kenneth Tiven
The murder of liberal activist and famous American film director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele in Hollywood this weekend was shocking on multiple levels.
Police say 34-year-old Nick Reiner stabbed his parents in their Brentwood home following an argument at a Hollywood party. The son reportedly had drug addiction and other issues. He is in custody.
Reiner, son of early TV comedian Carl Reiner, moved from being a TV actor —All in the Family–to directing more than a dozen movies, most of them huge hits. The irony or perhaps explanation for events is contained in the 2015 film Being Charlie. Written with his son, it is about a would-be governor’s addicted son. The character goes down the long, rough road of rehab, fighting against recovery every inch of the way.
Among his most notable films are The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, The Bucket List, A Few Good Men and The American President.
Trump savaged Rob Reiner and his wife in a social media post that defies awareness considering death by their son. Characteristically, Trump went out his way to make the murder about himself, writing:
“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,” Trump wrote, before concluding with the words, “May Rob and Michele rest in peace!”
Was Trump confusing Rob Reiner with the presidential character played in his 1995 movie The American President? Actor Michael Douglas is running for president against a character much like Trump named Bob Rumson, and says, “I’ve known Bob Rumson for years, and I’ve been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn’t get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob’s problem isn’t that he doesn’t get it. Bob’s problem is that he can’t sell it…And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you…. He is interested in two things, and two things only.”
“Making you afraid of it and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. We’ve got serious problems, and we need serious people. And if you want to talk about character, Bob, you better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card.… This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your 15 minutes are up.”
Trump’s remarks ignited a storm of criticism, even from devoutly rightwing websites like The Daily Caller. Violating it’s “right turns only” policy, it featured a story critical of President Trump. This signifies the pressure of the Epstein issue and the drug attacks, with Trump responding beyond the usual nastiness and pettiness. Sinking ratings and his claim that affordability is a hoax likely contribute to his mood launching an angry attack on a husband and wife who were murdered.
A Trump supporter friend wrote me, “I know he won’t but I believe Trump ought to apologize for his snarky comments following the Reiners horrific murders. He would have been better off if he’d just kept his motor-mouth shut.”
That writer added, “I’d still vote for him again.” That may not be true for a lot of Trump voters. Many are worrying about immigration issues, affordability and unhinged warfare in the South Atlantic. Polling suggests a potentially catastrophic shift away from an authoritarian racist government.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, critical of Trump in the Epstein affair and now less supportive said, “Rob Reiner and his wife were tragically killed at the hands of their own son, who reportedly had drug addiction and other issues, and their remaining children are left in serious mourning and heartbreak. This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”
The Daily Caller quoted British talk show host Piers Morgan: “This is a dreadful thing to say about a man who just got murdered by his troubled son. Delete it, Mr President.”
Maria Shriver, a friend of Reiner and his wife, slammed Trump on X. “I try to rise above the noise all the time, but this individual has no human decency. This goes beyond. What kind of human being would share a statement like this, much less a president? Rob and Michele would tell me to just ignore him, but I can’t. I just can’t.”
In disagreement is disgraced former Congressman George Santos, who wrote, “This man has been almost killed because of the rhetoric that people like Rob Reiner has spewed.” Understandable given that in October Trump had commuted his seven-year federal prison sentence releasing Santos, who barely served three months, for lying and fund raising violations.
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