STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
President Trump made Rob Reiner's death all about President Trump. The president, who is supported by taxpayer dollars, spent time on a social media post suggesting that his fellow citizen was killed for not liking Trump. Some Republicans disagreed with the president's sentiment, so he repeated it. NPR's Saige Miller has more.
SAIGE MILLER, BYLINE: In yesterday's post, Trump called Reiner a tortured and struggling star who reportedly died because of, quote, "the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as Trump derangement syndrome." Now Trump is facing a wave of backlash from elected Republicans, influential conservative pundits and users on his social media platform, Truth Social, over the reaction. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said on X that this is, quote, "a family tragedy" and "not about politics or political enemies."
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis said, quote, "the right uniformly condemned political and celebratory responses to Charlie Kirk's death. This is a horrible example from Trump." Others have called Trump's post inappropriate, distasteful and urged him to delete it. But Trump doubled down on his post about Reiner when asked about it by reporters during an Oval Office event Monday.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think he hurt himself in - career-wise. He became like a deranged person - Trump derangement syndrome. So 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.
MILLER: Reiner was a vocal critic of Trump and the right as a whole. But Reiner condemned political violence following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling it an absolute horror on Piers Morgan's show.
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ROB REINER: That should never happen to anybody. I don't care what your political beliefs are. That's not acceptable. That's not a solution to solving problems.
MILLER: Trump has not deleted the post.
Saige Miller, NPR News.
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