During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Michelle Obama revealed that she and Barack were scheduled to see Rob and Michele Reiner on the day they were found dead in their Los Angeles home.
At around the 9:50 point of the interview on Monday (Dec. 15), as seen above, Michelle was offered condolences from Jimmy.
“How long have you known the Reiners?” he asked.
“We’ve known them for many, many years, and we were supposed to be seeing them that night, last night,” Michelle replied. “We got the news… And let me just say this, unlike some people, Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know. They’re not deranged or crazed. What they have always been are passionate people, in a time when there is not a lot of courage going on.”
She highlighted how both of them were passionate about their political activism, as well as their family and friends.
“They were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about,” she continued. “They cared about their family, and they cared about this country, and they cared about fairness and equity. And that is the truth. I do know them.”
Her comments appear to address Donald Trump’s heinous remarks about the murder of the Reiners, who were outspoken critics of the Trump administration during both of his terms.
“A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, 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, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!”
Trump’s comments have been met with widespread criticism, especially since he attempted to paint their murder as politically motivated and used it as an opportunity to mock Rob, who has provided audiences with iconic work both in front of and behind the camera.
When given the chance to clarify his post on Monday (Dec. 15), Trump doubled down.
“He was a deranged person,” said Trump. “Trump derangement syndrome. I was not a fan. I thought he was very bad for our country.”
The couple’s 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested and booked on murder charges in connection with the deaths of his parents, who were found dead from apparent stab wounds on Sunday (Dec. 14). His bail has been set at $4 million. There is no evidence to suggest their murder was politically motivated. The investigation into their deaths is ongoing.