Trump condemned for ‘disgusting’ and ‘depraved’ statement after deaths of Rob Reiner and wife Michele
In an astonishing post on Truth Social this morning, Donald Trump suggested that Hollywood director Rob Reiner, 78, who was found dead at his home alongside his wife Michele, 68, in what is being investigated as an “apparent homicide”, was killed because he angered people with his “Trump Derangement Syndrome”.
Reiner had spoken out about Trump many times over the years. He said in a 2017 interview with Variety that he thought Trump was “mentally unfit” to be president and called him the “single most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States”.
He also told the Guardian last year that Trump’s re-election could lead to the US turning into an autocracy. “We see autocracy making its move around the world,” he said. “And so if we [the US] crumble, there’s a danger that democracy crumbles around the world.”
The president’s Truth Social post has been met with fierce criticism online, with many commentators calling it “disgusting” and “depraved”. Others have also contrasted Trump’s words with his administration’s calls for compassion after the killing of Charlie Kirk (and its crackdown on anyone it deemed to be “celebrating” or “making light” of it).
This clip has been making the rounds, in which Reiner poignantly explained that he had felt “absolute horror” at Kirk’s assassination in September. “That should’ve never happened to anybody,” Reiner told Piers Morgan. “I don’t care what your political beliefs are – that’s not acceptable, that’s not a solution.” He added that he found Kirk’s widow’s forgiveness of her husband’s killer “beautiful” and “admirable”. It would be one of Reiner’s final television interviews.
A quote from Kirk himself in 2016 has also resurfaced today: “You can tell a lot about a person by the way they react when someone dies.”
Key events
Despite positive US rhetoric, Ukraine and US appear to be still quite far from comprehensive deal — snap analysis
Andrew Roth
I’m just off a call with US officials on Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s discussions with the Ukrainians and European delegations in Berlin, which included nearly 8 hours of meetings with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
While the discussions were described as constructive in particular concerning future US-brokered security guarantees for Ukraine, it sounds like the sides are quite far from a comprehensive peace deal, with significant differences remaining on the future status of the occupied Ukrainian territory, as well as key issues like the future operations of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The US delegation was upbeat. The officials claimed that they are “90%” of the way toward a deal between Ukraine and Russia — in particular, the US delegation claimed that they had developed “Article 5-like” security guarantees for Ukraine that had satisfied both Kyiv and the Europeans (we’ll see what the Europeans brief about that).
The US officials said they wouldn’t release details of the security guarantees yet, but that it included “very strong safeguards” to prevent the war from restarting if a deal is reached. That said, the US won’t be putting boots on the ground in Ukraine according to the officials, so they’ll have to release more details to convince skeptics that Russia will respect those “Article 5-like” guarantees in the future.
A lot of questions remain.
The main one is territory. It was clear from the call that there is not an agreement yet on who would control what territory after a peace deal and how that territory would be recognised. One US official said they had “brainstormed” on turning the occupied Ukrainian territory into an “economic free zone” and they had spent “a lot of time trying to define what that would mean, how it operates”.
So there’s a long way to go in those discussions as well, and the US officials admitted that they may not be able to get that issue across the line: “Ultimately, if we can get that defined, then it will really get to [Russia and Ukraine] to work out the final issues of sovereignty and to see if there’s a deal that can be done between them.”
The US officials said they’ll go back to working groups in the US this weekend, but that they’re ready to travel to Russia or Ukraine in the future if the deal can get done.
California Democrat describes comments as ‘new low for this petty, hateful man'
Democratic representative Zoe Lofgren, of California, called on the president’s party to condemn his “making light” of Rob and Michele Reiner’s deaths, which she called “a new low for this petty, hateful man”. She wrote on X:
Rob Reiner was a beloved Californian who always used his platform to make the world better. Donald Trump making light of him and his wife’s murders is a new low for this petty, hateful man. His party needs to condemn this.
Republicans criticize Trump's ‘inappropriate and disrespectful' Rob Reiner remarks
More Republicans are weighing in on Trump’s earlier comments around the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner.
Kentucky representative Thomas Massie, who has fiercely opposed Trump on several issues and been personally attacked by the president as a result, called Trump’s comments “inappropriate and disrespectful” and challenged his GOP colleagues to defend them. He wrote on X:
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.
And Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a once staunch ally turned vocal critic of Trump who last month abruptly announced her resignation after a bitter public falling out with the president, wrote:
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 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.
Nick Reiner has been arrested following the death of his parents, according to Los Angeles jail records.
CNBC reported last week that Trump could sign an executive order “as soon as Monday” that would allow for reclassification of marijuana, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Trump first floated the idea that he was “looking at reclassification” in August, and the Washington Post (paywall) was first to report last week that he’s planning to direct agencies to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, similar to some common prescription painkillers.
But Axios reported the change would likely take place early next year and, per my last post, there’s no executive order signing on Trump’s schedule today. And a White House official said on Thursday that no final decision had been made. We’ll let you know if anything looks likely to change on that later today.
According to the president’s schedule, Donald Trump will be participating in a “Mexican border defense” medal ceremony at 3pm ET followed by two Christmas parties in the evening.
Kamala Harris also paid tribute to her “dear friends” Rob and Michele, calling Rob Reiner someone who “loved our country, cared deeply about the future of our nation, and fought for America’s democracy”. In a post on X, she wrote:
Rob Reiner’s work has impacted generations of Americans. The characters, dialogue, and visuals he brought to life in film and television are woven throughout our culture. Rob loved our country, cared deeply about the future of our nation, and fought for America’s democracy. Rob and his wife Michele loved each other very much. They were dear friends, and Doug and I are devastated to learn of their passing. Our thoughts are with their loved ones during this tragic time.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer also paid tribute in a post on X, not only to Reiner’s work in film but also to his being “a relentless defender of democracy and the values so many of us share”.
Horrific news today out of California of the tragic death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Not only was Rob an incredibly talented actor & director, he was also a relentless defender of democracy and the values so many of us share. He will be missed dearly. My prayers this morning are with the Reiner family and all those who loved his movies and what he and Michele stood for.
In stark contrast to the president’s comments, Republican senator Ted Cruz has expressed that he is “deeply saddened by the horrific murder of Rob Reiner and his wife”. In a post on X, Cruz went on:
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 comedic and story-telling master. His movies touched us, deeply, and spoke to our fundamental humanity. Rob Reiner was one of a kind, and he will be missed.
The tragic circumstances of his murder make it all the more horrible. Heidi & I are praying for his family. Rest in Peace.
Trump condemned for ‘disgusting’ and ‘depraved’ statement after deaths of Rob Reiner and wife Michele
In an astonishing post on Truth Social this morning, Donald Trump suggested that Hollywood director Rob Reiner, 78, who was found dead at his home alongside his wife Michele, 68, in what is being investigated as an “apparent homicide”, was killed because he angered people with his “Trump Derangement Syndrome”.
Reiner had spoken out about Trump many times over the years. He said in a 2017 interview with Variety that he thought Trump was “mentally unfit” to be president and called him the “single most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States”.
He also told the Guardian last year that Trump’s re-election could lead to the US turning into an autocracy. “We see autocracy making its move around the world,” he said. “And so if we [the US] crumble, there’s a danger that democracy crumbles around the world.”
The president’s Truth Social post has been met with fierce criticism online, with many commentators calling it “disgusting” and “depraved”. Others have also contrasted Trump’s words with his administration’s calls for compassion after the killing of Charlie Kirk (and its crackdown on anyone it deemed to be “celebrating” or “making light” of it).
This clip has been making the rounds, in which Reiner poignantly explained that he had felt “absolute horror” at Kirk’s assassination in September. “That should’ve never happened to anybody,” Reiner told Piers Morgan. “I don’t care what your political beliefs are – that’s not acceptable, that’s not a solution.” He added that he found Kirk’s widow’s forgiveness of her husband’s killer “beautiful” and “admirable”. It would be one of Reiner’s final television interviews.
A quote from Kirk himself in 2016 has also resurfaced today: “You can tell a lot about a person by the way they react when someone dies.”
Ukraine’s top negotiator has said that talks with the US have been constructive and productive, my colleague Frances Mao reports.
Rustem Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, said in a post on X that “real progress” had been achieved with hopes of lasting peace deal. He said the Americans, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were “working extremely constructively to help Ukraine find a way to a peace agreement that lasts”.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that US peace negotiators insisted during yesterday’s talks in Berlin that the Ukrainian side should agree to withdraw its troops from the Donetsk region, saying the matter of territory was a central issue for Russia, an official familiar with the matter said.
Citing an official with direct knowledge of the talks, the news agency reports that the territorial question remained unresolved today and that the Ukrainian delegation responded yesterday that further discussion was needed.
AFP hears similar, reporting that US negotiators still want Ukraine to cede control of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition for peace talks with Russia.
Kyiv is pushing back against Washington’s demand that it pull troops from the two regions collectively known as Donbas, which Russia has been unable to capture since invading in February 2022.
Russian president Vladimir Putin “wants territory,” an official briefed on the discussions told AFP, adding the US was demanding that Ukraine “withdraw” from the regions and that Kyiv was refusing.
“It’s a bit striking that the Americans are taking the Russians’ position on this issue,” the official added.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz will host other world leaders, including Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, in a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday.
The countries are working alongside Ukraine on peace talks. European leaders have previously criticized US proposals to end the war as too friendly to Russia.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have been in Berlin as part of these talks, including a lengthy meeting with Zelenskyy on Sunday.
Witkoff and Kushner have been invited to the dinner with European leaders.
In the interview with WCCO, Representative Ilhan Omar said her office has received a flood of calls in the weeks since Trump began targeting her by name and calling her, and other Somalis, “garbage”.
Most of those calls, she said, are people lending their support and saying they disagree with the president.
“They also tell us to continue fighting, because it does set an example when you stand up to bullies,” Omar said.
She touched on the massive fraud cases in Minnesota, which is part of why Trump has said he’s going after Somalis. Many of those convicted of defrauding public programs, including a program meant to provide meals to kids, are of Somali descent. Omar said the whole community should not be blamed for the crimes of individuals, and that she and other Minnesotans also were “deeply hurt” by the fraud. As to whether money sent from Somalis in the US back home could be funding Al-Shabaab, the terrorist group – a claim made by rightwing media in recent weeks – she said she supports the government investigating.
Ilhan Omar says ICE agents pulled her son over
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.
Ilhan Omar, the Somalia-born Minnesota congresswoman, has said her son was pulled over by ICE agents on Saturday and asked to provide proof of citizenship.
“Yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by ICE agents, and once he was able to produce his passport ID, they did let him go,” she told WCCO’s Esme Murphy.
Omar fled civil war as a young child, came to the US as a refugee and became a US citizen in 2000.
She became one of the first people of Muslim faith to be elected to the US Congress after winning Minnesota’s fifth congressional district in the midterm elections in 2018.
Omar told WCCO that it was “disturbing” and “creepy” to have the president be “obsessed with you” – but said it is a deflection tactic to focus attention away from his political failures.
