'Very bad for our country': Trump doubles down on 'deranged' Rob Reiner comments

Trump bashes Rob Reiner after director's death

President Donald Trump doubles down on bashing the late Rob Reiner despite the fact that it has been less than a day since it was revealed that the Hollywood director and his wife were stabbed to death in Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump publicly defended his controversial initial comments on the murder of Hollywood actor-director Rob Reiner, calling the director "deranged" and "very bad for our country" in an Oval Office statement.

Trump reinforces previous Reiner statement

What they're saying:

Trump doubled down on his controversial remarks regarding Reiner, refusing to back away from them when asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon.

"Well, I wasn’t a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned," he stated.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trump says Rob Reiner died of ‘Trump derangement syndrome’

"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, he added.

The comments followed a previous statement made by the president suggesting Reiner’s death was due to the "anger he caused others" by being critical of the president.

In a Truth Social post, Trump blamed the tragedy on the director's political opposition to him. He wrote that Reiner "was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession with President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness."

Trump's initial remarks get blowback

The other side:

The president’s comments, which departed drastically from the typical presidential role of offering consolation, drew immediate criticism from both sides of the political aisle.

Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie criticized the post 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."

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also responded, saying, "This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies."

Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for Trump, pointed out a double standard in the president’s response.

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"The right uniformly condemned political and celebratory responses to Charlie Kirk’s death. This is a horrible example from Trump (and surprising considering the two attempts on his own life) and should be condemned by everyone with any decency."

Investigation into Reiners' double murder continues 

What we know:

Reiner and his wife were found stabbed to death on Sunday, Dec. 14, in their mansion in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood. 

The person who called 911 was reportedly the couple's daughter, Romy Reiner, 29.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Rob Reiner's son, Nick, arrested after parents found dead in Brentwood mansion

The couple’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, was in police custody early Monday in connection with the incident and is being held on $4 million bail. Jail records show he was booked for a felony. 

This story was reported from Los Angeles.