A staffer at a right-wing news site published a scathing critique of President Donald Trump's posts blaming Hollywood director Rob Reiner for his own killing, asserting the president's widely-derided message represented a "massive" tactical "misstep" that may ultimately come back to haunt Republicans in the midterms.
In a rant to his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "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."
Trump later doubled down on his post despite fierce backlash, including from many in his own party, telling reporters Reiner was "deranged."
On Monday night, Bryan Chai, a senior editor at the conservative Western Journal — who has defended Trump's "monstrous, prickly caricature" portrayal in the media as a "wild-eyed ruse" — took the president to task over his remarks.
"I mean this with zero exaggeration: That message should’ve literally been just the first line and last line, period," said Chai.
The first and last lines of Trump's post: "A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood," and "May Rob and Michele rest in peace!"
Chai railed that everything else the MAGA leader posted was a "disservice to anyone who’s ever defended Trump’s character from the relentless smears of the left and establishment media."
Chai took two major problems with Trump's approach. First, his response may alienate crucial swing voters needed for Republicans to maintain Congressional majorities in the 2026 midterms. While Trump's combative rhetoric energizes his base, the author argues that undecided voters prefer his more restrained demeanor, citing his dignified Ginsburg response as an example. Democrats will likely weaponize this moment extensively during future campaigns, the writer argued.
There’s "just no way to sugarcoat it: Trump may have single-handedly tanked the 2026 midterms by alienating swathes of on-the-fence voters," Chai groaned.
He added: "If you don’t think Democrats are going to weaponize this in 2026 and beyond, you don’t understand how elections work."
Second, he said, Trump's "very bad misstep" will flood media coverage with anti-Trump content while overshadowing other tragedies.
Notably, Chai argued that other prominent conservative figures, comedian Adam Carolla, actor James Woods, and Rob Schneider, demonstrated more appropriate responses by offering genuine condolences without political commentary or mockery.
