Fox News condemns Trump’s Reiner comments

Donald Trump's comments regarding the death of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, have been widely condemned, with a Fox News panel calling out the president.

The couple were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday (14 December), and the couple’s son, Nick Reiner, has since been arrested, charged with their alleged murders and remains in custody.

When news broke of the deaths, the two received an outpouring of tributes from entertainment industry figures who noted Reiner's impact as he was behind iconic films such as The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men.

However, the same cannot be said for Trump, who decided to take the opportunity to describe Reiner - who was a vocal Trump critic - as a "tortured and struggling" director and bizarrely claim he was killed “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”.

The comments have been widely condemned on both sides of the political spectrum, with Fox News doing a segment where analysts echoed this sentiment.

Howard Kurtz, a Fox News media analyst, said, "Rob Reiner was a very liberal Democrat who had very strong criticism of President Trump, and yet I have to say for the President of the United States to take this family tragedy which both Reiner and his wife were killed and say that it's because of 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' I thought was well beneath him and beneath the office, and I think it would've been better if the president had made no comment.

They then played a clip from Piers Morgan Uncensored back in September where Reiner described feeling "absolute horror" after hearing the news that conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot dead.

The host also referred to Trump getting "push back" over his remarks from Robby Starbuck and Republican senator for Louisiana John Kennedy.

"As he should," said Guy Benson, Fox News political analyst. "There is a time and a place for politics and trolling. A man being viciously murdered along with his wife.... for the President to have put this out the way that he did achieves nothing and reflects poorly."

Stef Kight from Axios noted how Trump doubled down on his comments at a press conference on Monday (December 15) despite lawmakers on both sides aisle condemning his tone.

"...it is unfortunate to have the President of the United States taking a tragedy like this and inserting politics into a situation as sad as the one that led to the Reiners' death, especially after the year we've had," she said, referring to two state lawmakers from Minnesota, (Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed, while John Hoffman and his wife were injured) being gunned down in their homes and the killing of Charlie Kirk.

On social media, viewers expressed their surprise to see Fox News criticising Trump, with some thanking them for "speaking up" on this matter.

One person wrote, "It was amazing to watch the entire panel on Fox News absolutely condemned Donald Trump over his comments on Rob Reiner’s death."

"This is good. Thank you all for speaking up," a second person wrote.

A third person added, "This is how it should be handled."

"Good on @FoxNews for panel unequivocally condemning Trump’s spiteful celebration of Rob Reiner’s horrible murder! I didn’t think they would do it!" a fourth person shared.

Elsewhere from Indy100, What did Rob Reiner say about Donald Trump? and Celebrities who have condemned Trump's 'vile' Rob Reiner comments.

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