Dec. 16, 2025, 5:34 p.m. ET
Upon the grisly, untimely deaths of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, I find myself remembering a couple of lessons again: that life is short, and that even the leader of the free world can be flawed, unprofessional and hateful, which is disappointing.
On Dec. 15, President Donald Trump blasted Rob Reiner on social media, posting, in part, that he died “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.”
At the White House later that day, Trump doubled down on his angry post, saying, “I was not a fan of Rob Reiner. At all. In any way, shape, or form. I thought he was very bad for our country.”
When I read Trump’s comments and heard his follow-up, I was appalled. It is wrong for the president to speak this way about anyone’s death. His words are disrespectful and cold. This kind of reaction is unbecoming of the office of the president. I expect better from our president, and I hope Trump can rise above his personal grievances and show self-control next time.
Can we all just agree to stop mocking and cheering death?
I strongly condemn Trump’s comments about Reiner because he is the president. He should do better. It’s also not decent or kind to speak poorly of the dead, particularly in this case, as the Reiners’ son is accused of killing the couple. Nick Reiner was taken into police custody Dec. 14 and “booked for murder,” according to a Los Angeles Police Department news release.
It feels beyond the pale in polite, civilized society to dance on their murders.
But I felt exactly this way when conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in broad daylight just over three months ago. Kirk espoused conservative ideas and a lifestyle that some people didn’t agree with. But he was a decent human being, a doting husband and father, and a man who loved God and country.
Yet thousands of people cheered Kirk’s death on social media, to the point that many were fired for being so ghoulish. I could hardly find a liberal willing to condemn these smears.
Trump had a chance to show grace and leadership upon Reiner’s death, and he didn’t, which is frustrating. In fact, even Reiner spoke well of Kirk after he was assassinated. But the left’s hypocrisy is frustrating, too.
It is wrong for Trump to smear Reiner upon his death, and it was bad for many to applaud Kirk’s death. The sooner we can all agree on this as a society, the better we will be.
Conservatives are now speaking out against Trump
I was relieved to see that many prominent conservatives, including lawmakers, denounced Trump’s gross and inappropriate comments.
“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, said on social media.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, said, “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”
Russell Moore, pastor and theologian, wrote that Trump’s behavior was “vile” and “disgusting.”
I think this is actually good news for the Republican Party’s direction. Although these conservatives already disagree with Trump a lot, it’s still a good sign when members of his own party reject wholesale adulation of any political leader.
But why are conservatives now denouncing Trump for blasting Reiner so viciously? I think it’s because what Trump said about Reiner is worse than most things he has posted over the years. Also, the president’s a lame duck who seems to be giving in to his bad habits instead of working to fix things. That’s alarming.
I think there could be another reason conservatives are speaking up more: In 2017, Reiner helped launch the Committee to Investigate Russia, a nonprofit group formed to publicize investigations on election interference. In October, Reiner warned that the United States would fall into “a full-on autocracy” under Trump. The two clearly had a personal, ongoing quarrel. I can see why Trump is bitter.
A better man would not seek an opportunity to have a last word over his critics because, after all, he is the president now. But when Trump lashes out, as he did to Reiner, it reveals his insecurities, lack of discipline and emotional willpower. His outbursts make him an easy target for the left.
Think of how much more powerful it would have been for the Reiner family and conservatives if Trump had offered just heartfelt condolences, knowing how much Reiner despised him. Grace after grievances only bolsters a leader’s credibility, and a leader is what conservatives voted for.
Not a man who kicks his enemy when he’s dead.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
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