Rep. Thomas Massie criticizes Trump over Rob Reiner post, ‘Inappropriate and disrespectful'

Thomas Massie publicly criticized Donald Trump over the president’s remarks about the deaths of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) publicly criticized President Donald Trump over the president’s remarks about the killing of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, calling the comments “inappropriate and disrespectful.”

Massie was not alone in condemning Trump’s remarks, as other Republican leaders joined in. (AP/ AFP)

Massie made the remarks in a post on X on December 15, while sharing a screenshot of Trump’s post onReiner’s death. “Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered,” Massie wrote. “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.”

Trump addressed the killings in a post on Truth Social, where he said Reiner died from what he described as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

“A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood,” Trump wrote, describing Reiner as “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star,” and attributing his death to what he called a “mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”

Reiner was a prominent Democratic donor and frequent critic of Trump, and in 2017 said Trump was “mentally unfit” to be president, The Hill reported.

Other Republicans criticize Trump

Massie was not alone in condemning Trump’s remarks. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said in a post on X that the deaths were “a family tragedy” and “not about politics or political enemies.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) also criticised Trump’s statement, calling it “wrong.” “It’s a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period,” Lawler said.

Prominent Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama, posted condolences for the Reiners on social media.

Reiner and his wife were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home on Sunday in what police are investigating as a homicide, according to The Hill. Their son, Nick, has been taken into custody and charged with a felony.