Rob Reiner, a celebrated filmmaker and political activist, campaigned against Donald Trump up until his death this week. For him, the fight was not just about Republicans versus Democrats - it was a battle to save the basic structure of American self-rule from what he repeatedly described as a terrifying slide toward autocracy, or one-person control.
The 78-year-old director saw his role extending beyond showbusiness: he believed it was his duty to alert the public. To ring that alarm, he used his Hollywood platform and immense storytelling talent to try and wake people up about potential dangers. He wanted the public to take these threats, especially those involving the future of America, as seriously as he did, viewing it as a civic responsibility.
Rob's Final Years: Channelling His Energy to Fight the President
In the final years, Reiner dedicated most of his time and energy to one urgent mission: to warn the Americans about the extreme dangers he believed Donald Trump and his political movement represented to the foundation of the democratic system.
Reiner's criticisms went beyond standard political arguments, evolving into a persistent warning that the US could lose its tradition of self-governance. He used his Hollywood platform and public appearances to frame the political climate not as a partisan debate but as a fundamental crisis.
Fervent Activist: Raising Awareness About How the President is Leading the Nation
During the 2024 election campaign, he raised the alarm about the threat he believed Donald Trump posed to democracy, stating that the president governs with an 'iron fist'. He argued that the President was leading like a dictator and ignoring democratic rules.
'You have one candidate, Trump, who actually tells you he's going to govern like an authoritarian,' Reiner told MS Now in 2023. 'It's not a mystery.'
'Do we want fascism or do we want to continue the 248 years of self-rule?' he asked back after being questioned about authoritarian leadership. 'Do we want to continue democracy or do we want to slip into fascism?'
Why Reiner Believed Democracy Will Crumble Under Trump
Rob Reiner argued that Trump posed an existential threat to US democracy because he saw him taking specific, well-documented actions that mirrored the playbooks of autocrats throughout history. In addition, he frequently called the president mentally unfit and 'unqualified' to lead America, saying his actions, which he viewed as a betrayal of the public trust, were self-serving and often disregarded the law.
Reiner warned that if democracy ended in the US, the world would also be affected. He pointed out that the nation has the world's oldest democracy, and if this collapses, it would inevitably cause democracy to 'crumble around the world' like a domino effect.
The filmmaker saw Donald Trump's behaviour as incompatible with constitutional leadership. He said the leader showed no 'interest in trying to find out how government works' and instead acted in contradiction to the separation of powers. Reiner's unfiltered criticism made him a frequent target for backlash, with opponents often accusing him of suffering from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' (TDS).
