Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump have once again found themselves at odds, this time following remarks Trump made in response to reports surrounding the death of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner. The comments quickly ignited backlash, with critics accusing the former president of responding to tragedy with hostility rather than empathy.
During Monday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel addressed the controversy directly, reacting to statements Trump had shared online about Reiner. Trump had suggested that Reiner’s death was connected to what he described as “Trump derangement syndrome,” a phrase he has frequently used to dismiss critics. The remarks spread rapidly across social media and were widely condemned, including by figures in the entertainment industry.
On his show, Kimmel did not soften his response.
“What we need at a time like this, besides common sense when it comes to guns and mental health care, is compassion and leadership. We did not get that from our president, because he has none of it to give. Instead, we got a fool rambling about nonsense,”
Kimmel then referenced the message Trump had posted publicly, explaining that this was the response offered in the wake of what many viewed as a moment requiring sensitivity.
Kimmel proceeded to read the post aloud, which Trump had shared on Truth Social earlier that morning:
“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!”
Reacting to the language used, Kimmel said he initially struggled to believe the post was genuine.
“It’s so hateful and vile. When I first saw it, I thought it was fake. My wife showed it to me this morning. I was like, ‘Even for him, that seemed like too much.’ But nothing is ever too much for him.”
Kimmel also referenced comments Trump later made during an Oval Office press conference, where he was given the opportunity to clarify or walk back his remarks but instead expanded on them.
“I wasn’t a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned. He knew it was false. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. He said I was a friend of Russia, controlled by Russia. You know, the Russia hoax. He was one of the people behind it. I think he hurt himself career-wise. 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.”
Kimmel responded sharply to those remarks on his show.
“That corroded brain is in charge of our lives.”
He went on to address viewers directly, urging reflection on political choices and leadership.
“If you voted for that, it’s okay to reconsider. It’s perfectly fine. I have to say, I know from my personal interactions with Rob Reiner that he would want us to keep pointing out the loathsome atrocities that continue to ooze out of this sick and irresponsible man’s mouth. So we’re going to do that over and over again until the rest of us wake up.”
Kimmel was not the only late-night host to acknowledge the reported deaths. Stephen Colbert opened his own show with a somber monologue, choosing not to address Trump directly but instead reflecting on the gravity of recent events.
“Hello, everybody. Normally, we start the show with a short cold open about a major news story of the day. But after the terrible news this past weekend, the horrifying Hanukkah massacre at Bondi Beach, the tragic shootings at Brown University and the heartbreaking deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, all of the major stories are too dark for that. Other people’s tragedy is sacred ground, and we try very hard not to walk there. But we are going to do a comedy show tonight, in light of and in spite of the darkness.”
Meanwhile, media outlets have reported that Rob Reiner, his wife Michele, and their son Nick were seen together at a holiday gathering hosted by Conan O’Brien shortly before the tragedy. Sources cited by TMZ claimed that Rob and Nick were involved in a heated argument during the event, reportedly loud enough to draw attention from other guests.
Authorities later confirmed that Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Reiner, 68, were found deceased at their Brentwood residence on Sunday, December 14. Investigators described the case as an apparent homicide and stated that the investigation remains ongoing. Law enforcement officials have confirmed that the couple’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, was taken into custody on suspicion related to their deaths and is currently being held without bail as the legal process continues.
The case, alongside the public political fallout that followed, has left both Hollywood and the wider public grappling with grief, anger, and unanswered questions.
