Reiner’s Death, Trump’s Response, and Why Decency Still Matters

The murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, shocked me in ways I didn’t expect. When the news first broke Sunday night that two people had been found stabbed to death in Reiner’s Los Angeles home, I assumed it was a home invasion gone wrong. The reality turned out to be far worse—their own son, Nick, has now been charged with their murder.

I’ve written about Rob Reiner plenty of times in the past, particularly his unhealthy obsession with Trump, which was so severe that he actually checked himself into a mental health facility after the 2024 election. His constant warnings about democracy ending and his apocalyptic social media rants made him an easy target for conservative commentators like me. I enjoyed mocking him because, whether he could admit it or not, he came across as completely unhinged.

But watching this tragedy unfold, none of that political theater matters anymore. What does matter is that two people were brutally murdered by their own child. It doesn’t matter how much I disagreed with him politically; no one—regardless of their views—deserves to die that way.

Despite our political differences, I can still acknowledge what Reiner contributed to American culture.