This week, as I am sure you know by now, actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife were brutally slain, with their son now in custody on charges related to their murders.
Rob Reiner was also deeply embedded in California politics, and he was a known critic of Donald Trump.
When Trump commented on the murders, he referenced what he described as Reiner’s case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, literally calling him delusional, and the president's comments did not sit well with a lot of Republicans.
Now, we have all heard Reiner call Trump every name in the book, and had I been in the president's shoes, I would have likely just remained silent on the killings.
Instead, Trump posted that his Reiner’s death was “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.”
It almost came off as though Trump were making light of the murders, as there was clearly no evidence or even a hint that Reiner’s death had anything at all to do with his dislike of the president.
When Trump was later asked by reporters about his comments and whether he stood by them, Trump responded, “Well, I wasn’t a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person. I thought he was very bad for our country.”
Sen. John Kennedy is usually good for a laugh, but this being a serious matter, he was about as harsh as he could be with Trump. When asked about the president's response to the Reiner killings, Kennedy stated, “A wise man once said nothing. Why? Because he’s a wise man.”
He continued, “I think President Trump should have said nothing.”
As noted above, I agree.
Trump could have said he was never a fan of Reiner's, but that he would never wish something like that on even his worst enemy. I think people would have accepted that without question.
Kennedy has had the kindest response of anyone I read, as everyone else either avoided answering questions about the statement or was critical of the response from Trump. For instance, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who recently pledged to stop being so toxic, responded, “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) stated, “This statement is wrong. 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.”
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) also commented, “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.”
All this really did was open the door for some horrific takes when Trump’s own death eventually occurs. We saw how critics reacted when Trump was almost assassinated, so I would imagine they will now have carte blanche to say whatever they want when he ultimately passes away. What's more, it is important to consider the unnecessary, negative impact this may have on Republicans in the upcoming election cycle.
