Republican Party Negligent by Not Impeaching an Unhinged Madman
Delray Beach, FL — Truth Wins Out (TWO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing liberty and democracy, combating disinformation, and defending the rights of LGBTQ people and other minorities, condemns President Donald Trump for issuing a vulgar and dehumanizing public statement in the wake of the deaths of filmmaker and activist Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who were found dead in their Los Angeles home in what authorities are investigating as a homicide.
The couple’s daughter Romy found Rob, 78, and Michele, 68, with their throats slashed around 3:30 p.m. Sunday and told cops that she believed a family member “should be suspect,” TMZ reported. The Reiners’ son Nick was arrested today and reportedly charged with murder.
Instead of exhibiting basic human decency, President Trump cynically exploited the moment to insert crass partisan politics. In a Truth Social statement, Trump wrote that “a very sad thing happened,” then proceeded to frame the deaths through the lens of “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” insinuating that the “anger” Reiner “caused others” was responsible, and closing with a perfunctory “May Rob and Michele rest in peace.”
“Today’s vulgar statement indisputably confirms that President Trump is emotionally disturbed and profoundly mentally ill. This is not leadership. This is not condolence. It is a grotesque display of cruelty and political sadism from the most powerful office in the world,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “It is outrageous that the Republican controlled Congress hasn’t impeached Trump. Through their cowardice, they recklessly jeopardize our national security and threaten global stability by meekly allowing a deranged madman to control our military, including our nuclear forces. Their behavior is unpatriotic and unacceptable.”
TWO notes that, in a healthy democracy, a president is expected to model restraint, empathy, and civic responsibility—especially when the nation is confronted with violence. Yet Trump’s statement was devoid of empathy and saturated with the language of dehumanization. It treated a double homicide not as a moment for national unity or grief, but as an opportunity to score points, inflame resentment, and validate the darkest impulses of a political movement already saturated with threats and intimidation.
Trump’s latest post does not exist in a vacuum. TWO points to the broader pattern of right-wing figures—including members of Trump’s family—treating political violence as fodder for ridicule when the targets are perceived opponents.
After the 2022 attack on Paul Pelosi, Donald Trump Jr. shared or amplified mocking content about the assault, including “Halloween costume” jokes referencing the hammer used in the attack.
“This is the rot at the core of MAGA politics,” said Besen. “When violence is directed at their opponents, they joke. When violence touches their allies, they demand total reverence and calls for revenge. Their ‘principles’ are not principles at all—they are weapons.”
The hypocrisy of Trump’s disgusting today post is especially glaring when contrasted with the response from Trump and prominent allies following the September 2025 killing of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist closely associated with Trump. No one disputes that political violence is unacceptable—regardless of the victim’s ideology. But TWO underscores that Trump’s response to the Reiners’ deaths stands in stark contrast to the tone he adopted after Kirk’s assassination: solemnity for allies, spite for critics.
“A president must be president for all Americans,” Besen said. “If compassion is conditional—if grief is rationed based on whether a victim praised you—then you are not leading a nation. You are ruling a destabilizing faction.”
About Truth Wins Out
Truth Wins Out is a nonprofit organization that works to advance liberty and democracy, protect the rights of LGBTQ people and other minorities, combat religious extremism, and fight against the spread of disinformation.
Media Contact:
Wayne Besen, Executive Director
wbesen@truthwinsout.org