When the news broke about Rob Reiner and his wife Michele being found murdered in their home, I was forcefully reminded of this message from the late, and also murdered, Charlie Kirk.

You can tell a lot about a person by how they react when someone dies.

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 27, 2016

At Charlie Kirk’s funeral, where his widow Erika boldly and publicly forgave her husband’s killer, President Donald Trump openly admitted that he was not the forgiving type.

Kirk asked those in attendance to love their enemies as her husband did. Speaking after her, Trump said:. “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” then added: “Sorry Erika.”

We also know that President Trump is both a poor loser and, too often, a poor winner. He can also hold a grudge like it is an Olympic event. So when the president took to Truth Social after the Reiner murders were announced, it was a foregone conclusion that nothing good would come out of his statement.

The reaction from both right and left was pretty unified. This was an inappropriate, gross, and completely unwarranted statement. Yes, Rob Reiner disagreed vehemently with Donald Trump. That is well known. But this was a brutal, and personal, murder. After the disastrous press conference given initially by the Los Angeles Police Department late Sunday night, word came on Monday that the sources talking to various outlets were indeed correct, and Nick Reiner, the couple’s 32 year old son, was arrested for the murders. The troubled history of Nick Reiner was apparently well known in Hollywood circles, and there was a reported very public argument between Nick Reiner and his parents at a Christmas party, hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, the day before the murders.

The trio reportedly ended up in a “very loud argument’’ — possibly because Nick was back on drugs and refusing yet another go at treatment after at least 17 stints in rehab since age 15, sources told The Post on Monday.

“Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous,’’ a source told People magazine.

The embarrassingly bitter blowout occurred less than 24 hours before ne’er-do-well Nick allegedly slit his parents’ throats and stabbed them multiple times in the family’s Los Angeles mansion.

“They had had an argument at Conan’s holiday party, and Rob had been telling people that they’re scared for Nick and scared that his mental state was deteriorating,’’ a lifelong family friend who lives near the Reiner home told The Post.

The details that are being revealed should tell the public that the Hollywood gilt and glamour that we see spread on magazine pages and websites, often mask some very real and dark pain. Wealth and fame didn’t keep Nick Reiner off drugs or in recovery. His parents struggled with their inability to help him, as far too many other parents across this country in this same situation also do. And now these brutal murders have torn apart the Reiner family, as it has been reported that daughter Romy, who lived across the street from her parents, was the one who discovered their bodies.

Which leads us back to President Trump. Rob Reiner is dead, and his complaints and grudges about the man’s politics should have died with him. How on earth does this express any shred of decency or compassion for the family and loved ones left behind?

Rob Reiner won't hear what Trump says about him. The people who will hear it are family members who are mourning his loss. Regardless of how badly you think Reiner disrespected Trump, is it your position that people other than Reiner deserve this?

— Boo (@IzaBooboo) December 15, 2025

Statements like this do nothing to help President Trump, as they frustrate supporters and nauseate everyone.

I find this impossible to disagree with. Indefensible and disappointing. https://t.co/2Xk7StdDmc

— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) December 15, 2025

Death has a way of wiping away disagreements – or at least it should. Yes, there was plenty of ugliness when Charlie Kirk was murdered. That does not mean that President Trump should have jumped into the mud with both feet – and KEPT GOING.

Trump would have done much better to listen to what Charlie Kirk was trying to tell him for all these years, and emulate someone like James Woods this time.

Trump fucked up on purpose for no reason at all, and everyone knows it. https://t.co/SYnH8KGSAI

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) December 16, 2025

The president won no friends or admirers with these comments. We know he is capable of great compassion, but it makes it very hard to convince people of that when he spouts off with this level of unnecessary ugliness. It’s an outright failure all around, and someone close to him with the ability to read the room should tell him so.

Featured image: President Donald Trump on September 23, 2025, official White House Photo by Daniel Torok, cropped, public domain