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It's pointless to expect Donald Trump to apologize for his reprehensible response to the murder of Hollywood actor/director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Even though the American people deserve an apology, remorse is not in the president's repertoire.
Trump's horrid comments in the aftermath of the double homicide mark a new low for a president who has demonstrated his character is seriously low on humility and humanity. In a moment that demanded compassion, Trump offered cruelty.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed the killings were "reportedly due to the anger (Reiner) caused others through his massive unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME."
Reading those words at the end of a weekend that saw an antisemitic massacrer in Australia, another mass shooting on an American campus and two U.S. soldiers killed in a Syrian ambush raised what must be the universal question: "What on earth is wrong with him?"
Trump continued his post with this observation that Reiner is "known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness."
Pick a word: Delusional. Egomaniac. Callous. Anyone will do. And it's not OK that every one of them apply to the most powerful man in the world.
No one expected Trump to honor Reiner with a flowery eulogy. They hated each other. He could have just said nothing. And if he felt compelled to speak, he could have used the tragedy as an opportunity to focus attention on America's mental health crisis. Rob and Michele Reiner were living a nightmare shared by thousands of American parents of addicted or mentally ill adult children, with no place to turn for help.
Instead, he wallowed in ignorance and insensitivity, as he does nearly every day now. His crudity is no longer funny, if it ever was. It's juvenile and embarrassing.
Even Republicans recognize he's crossed a line that must be respected in a civil society. Voices from across the spectrum are rising to condemn him.
The irony is Trump was among those who just a few weeks ago were threatening to punish those who openly celebrated the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. I was no fan of Reiner's progressive political activism, but I believe him to be just as much a patriot as was Kirk. His death is also a loss for the nation. That's something the nation's leader should recognize and respect.
It's tempting to dismiss this as just Trump being Trump. That risks normalizing behavior that is totally unacceptable, and that unfortunately is becoming an everyday occurrence.. It should make us nervous that our president has such an extreme lack of self-control, few filters, and no sense of propriety.
Reveling in the butchering of another human being is not normal. Trump increasingly seems unhinged, distracted by old grievances and obsessively defensive of an administration that, so far, is not nearly as successful as he believes.
Add to that the slavish fawning he demands of his cabinet members, who must constantly affirm his brilliance, and it paints a picture of a president who is losing his grip on reality. Whether he can hang on for another three years is in serious doubt.
(COMMENT, BELOW)
Previously:
• 11/10/25: Thank the Canucks for their Reagan ad
• 02/18/25: O Canada, we don't really want you
• 02/18/25: Is Musk a Bond villain or America's salvation?
• 01/24/25: Justice and PR shouldn't mix
• 12/17/24: It wasn't Reagan, but Carter who made me a conservative
• 12/17/24: Those battlin' Republicans are back at it
• 12/11/24: There are no righteous political parties
• 12/04/24: Musk hopes to make budget cutting cool
• 11/11/24: Trump is back; blame Dems
• 10/31/24: Money isn't talking in the presidential race
• 06/25/24: Veep choice could allay fears about Trump
• 04/10/24: Migrant rhetoric matches border reality
• 03/13/24: Biden speech failed the moment
• 07/13/23: Stop feeding the Meta monster
• 12/22/22: Twitter Files expose Dem/Big Tech bond
• 04/17/22: Abortion ruling empowers states
• 04/08/22: Inflation isn't a Biden talking point
• 03/24/22: Hunter's laptop finally gets some light
• 03/03/22: Biden offers no reset
• 02/28/22:Giving up COVID, keeping mask, fist bumps
• 01/17/22:Biden, Dems roll dice on agenda
• 01/03/22: Can't hide from COVID behind jabs, masks
• 12/23/21:Manchin stood with his people in killing Biden's bill
• 11/04/21: For Dems, 'not Trump' not enough
Nolan Finley is conservative editorial page editor of The Detroit News.