Jimmy Kimmel blasts 'hateful and vile' Trump response to Rob Reiner death

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has torn into Donald Trump's statement on the death of film director Rob Reiner.

The Hollywood legend, known for directing films like When Harry Met Sally and Misery, was found dead at his home with wife Michele Singer Reiner on Sunday (December 14). A statement released by the president following the news of Reiner and Michele's death has been roundly criticised, with Kimmel saying the Truth Social post was so horrible he believed it was fake.

The post reads, "A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS."

"He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!"

Speaking during the opening monologue of his talk show, Kimmel responded to the statement, calling it a "hateful and vile" thing to say so soon after Reiner's death.

Kimmel said, "Just when you think he can't go any low, he somehow finds a way to do that. His description of what happened, of course, is not at all what happened. This is exactly what I've spoken about before, this rush to pin the tail on the donkey in pursuit of the Trump-friendly narrative."

"Not to mention blaming his death on the fact that he is an outspoken liberal, insulting someone who has just been murdered, who leaves children behind, without having any idea of what actually happened, it's so hateful and vile. When I first saw it, I though it was fake, my wife showed it to me this morning, I was like 'even for him that seems like too much.' But, nothing is ever too much for him."

Kimmel went on to criticise Trump for failing to use the White House press conference as a chance to "act like a human being". Trump would call Reiner a "deranged person" when asked by the press for his thoughts on the film director's death.