President Trump on Monday stood by his comments that Rob Reiner's death was the result of "Trump derangement syndrome," issuing a new round of sharp attacks on the late director.
The big picture: Trump said he believed Reiner was "very bad for our country" and repeated his previous rhetoric describing the longtime liberal activist as a "deranged person."
- "I wasn't a fan of Rob Reiner at all in any way, shape or form," Trump told reporters from the Oval Office Monday.
- Trump added that Reiner was among those who advanced a "hoax" suggesting the president was a friend of Russia or controlled by the country.
- "I think he hurt himself career-wise," the president said.
State of play: Trump drew backlash from several Republicans after his initial Truth Social post Monday morning, including from MAGA influencers who promised to never celebrate or mock the death of a political opponent after Charlie Kirk's assassination.
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Trump's former personal lawyer Jenna Ellis were among those to quickly slam the president's comments.
- The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
The other side: Some MAGA influencers justified the president's criticism of Reiner, who was an outspoken Trump critic prior to his death.
- "It's pretty pathetic to be so fake and fussy because Trump was insufficiently cordial to a guy who targeted him for nonstop bile for the last decade," columnist Kurt Schlichter wrote.
Go deeper: Trump mocks Rob Reiner after death. Here's what Reiner said about Trump and Charlie Kirk
