Trump’s comments on Reiner: a test of the GOP’s character | Opinion

There are moments when politics should be put aside and human decency take precedent. The murder of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner on Sunday is one of them.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share his thoughts on the death of Reiner and his wife, who were found dead by their daughter in their California home. Their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Instead of offering condolences, Trump blamed Reiner’s death on what he referred to as a “mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” Adding, “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump.”

This is a sitting president offering commentary about a man who was brutally murdered along with his wife — an unfathomable family tragedy.

Trump’s remarks are abhorrent and beneath the office of the presidency. But almost a decade into Trump being the Republican Party leader — and 11 months into his second presidency — it would be dishonest to pretend his behavior is shocking. Nor can we act surprised by who he is. The question here is: What will Republicans do about it?

Some Republicans spoke out on X. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who’s had a public falling out with Trump, posted, “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.” New York U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler posted, “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.”

Trump could’ve walked back his comments. Instead, he doubled down. When asked on Monday if he stood by his Truth Social post, even though various Republicans have denounced his comments, Trump dug in and attacked Reiner again.

“Well, I wasn’t a fan of his at all,” Trump replied, “He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned… 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.”

Many lifelong Republicans were appalled. One person posted on X, “As a lifelong Republican it’s awfully hard to argue with this, and heartbreaking to acknowledge. The president does not represent the values of the party I joined and continue to believe in….”

They’re not wrong. This is becoming increasingly common — Republicans breaking with Trump. Some are explaining that moments like these are why they left the party. One X user wrote: “How can anyone be blamed for leaving a party that cheers and elects such a man?”

I get it. But leaving the GOP because of Trump’s comments and moral ineptitude risks surrendering the party entirely. As a former Republican leader once told me, when someone breaks into your house and sets it on fire, you don’t hand them the keys — you stay and put the fire out.

When I’m asked how can I continue to be a Republican when Trump is the antithesis of what the GOP has long stood for, my answer is simple: The GOP is better than this, and I refuse to give up on that.

Staying is not an endorsement. It doesn’t mean excusing behavior that degrades the office or America. It’s a refusal to surrender the party’s values to behavior that undermines them. Basic human decency is a bare minimum for those entrusted with power. The presidency doesn’t require perfection, but it does require empathy and restraint — especially in moments of tragedy.

Senior political correspondent at the National Review Jim Geraghty said that a president who can’t feel empathy for parents murdered allegedly by their own son is unlikely to feel empathy for Americans struggling with the cost of living.

Loyalty to a political party shouldn’t supersede loyalty to the country. It’s always country over party and people over politics. The moment calls on Republicans to remember character is what you do in the difficult times, not easy ones.

Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@miamiherald.com

This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 10:47 AM.