Even MAGA Republicans are outraged by Trump’s Rob Reiner message

Two Republican lawmakers are speaking out against President Donald Trump’s highly-criticized remarks on what is being investigated as an apparent homicide of celebrated director and activist Rob Reiner, and his wife, Michele Singer.

The president in a Monday morning Truth Social post blamed “Trump Derangement Syndrome” on the couple’s deaths.

Reiner, the president then alleged, “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.”

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) responded directly to the president’s remarks.

“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,” Greene alleged. “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies. Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder.”

Police have not classified the deaths as murder.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) spoke more forcefully about the president’s remarks:

“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered. I guess my elected GOP colleagues, the VP, and White House staff will just ignore it because they’re afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it.”

Jenna Ellis, who was a member of Donald Trump’s 2020 legal team, wrote on X, "A man and his wife were murdered last night. This is NOT the appropriate response."

U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) responded to Congressman Massie.

“Thank you for your humanity,” Lieu wrote. “I want you to know the White House isn’t ignoring Trump’s post about Rob Reiner and Michele. The official White House rapid response account amplified Trump’s post.”

But some found Massie’s remarks insufficient.

“Massie is being delicate here,” observed Tim Carney, an American Enterprise Institute (AEI) senior fellow. “‘Innapropriate and disrespectful’ is an extreme understatement. Trump’s behavior here is deranged and shows psychopathic levels of narcissism. It’s also unsurprising given Trump’s standard behavior.”