In the hours after the news broke that Rob Reiner, the Hollywood legend and vocal Democrat, had been found dead in his Los Angeles-area home along with his wife, a certain talking point emerged among many corners of the MAGA faithful: Unlike those Democrats, especially after the death of Charlie Kirk, we don’t speak ill of the dead. We’re better than that, unlike you heartless liberals.
Didn’t age well pic.twitter.com/RjRizLjOz5
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) December 15, 2025
This talking point had lots of holes in it. For one thing, nearly every Democratic elected official in the country said respectful things after the killing of Kirk, and most of the people who suffered consequences for saying cruel things about Kirk were non-public figures who played no particular role in Democratic politics.
Also, then Donald Trump weighed in, with a bizarre and mean-spirited remembrance of the Reiners, which seemed to imply that they had been killed due to their dislike of Trump himself. Coming right from the president, it was almost certainly more cruel than anything any Democratic elected official said about Kirk:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 15, 2025
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By Monday morning, the Reiners’ son had been arrested for his alleged role in the deaths of his parents.
Some Republicans objected to that statement, including the likes of soon-to-be-ex-Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene:
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.
This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.
Many… pic.twitter.com/uVd3lGVEgm
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 15, 2025
Rep. Thomas Massie, another Republican Congressman who’s never been shy about criticizing Trump, also objected to Trump’s comments:
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. pic.twitter.com/j3dvzRxLQJ
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 15, 2025
Another elected Republican, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) was also critical for Trump’s statement, calling it “wrong.”
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. https://t.co/WjZ6kOoomR
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) December 15, 2025
And while he didn’t criticize Trump’s response, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) posted a much more respectful remembrance of Reiner:
I am deeply saddened by the horrific murder of Rob Reiner and his wife. He was one of the most talented movie-makers to have ever lived. From Spinal Tap to When Harry Met Sally, from A Few Good Men to my favorite movie of all time, The Princess Bride. We are weeping the loss of a…
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 15, 2025
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
