Trump mocks Rob Reiner after death. Here's what Reiner said about Trump and Charlie Kirk

Catch up quick: Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead at their home in Los Angeles this weekend.

• Police arrested the couple's son, Nick Reiner, in connection with the killings, according to police documents.
• Trump suggested Reiner's death, which is still under investigation by Los Angeles police, was because of the director's political views.
• Prominent MAGA voices and Republican lawmakers distanced themselves from Trump's remarks.

Here's what to know about Reiner's political involvement.

What Rob Reiner said about Donald Trump

Reiner largely backed Democrat Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and sharply criticized Trump following his victory.

• Reiner helped launch the Committee to Investigate Russia, which examined potential Russian interference in American elections, per Variety.

In 2017, Reiner told Variety at the Dubai International Film Festival that Trump was "mentally unfit" to serve as president.

• "Not only does he not understand how government works, he has no interest in trying to find out how it works," Reiner said.

Zoom in: "You have one candidate, Trump, who actually tells you he's going to govern like an authoritarian," Reiner told MS Now (formerly MSNBC) in 2023.

• "Do we want fascism or do we want to continue the 248 years of self-rule?" he asked during the interview. "Do we want to continue democracy or do we want to slip into fascism?"

In 2024, Reiner told the Guardian: "He wants to destroy the Constitution, go after his political enemies and turn America into an autocracy? We see autocracy making its move around the world. And so if we crumble, there's a danger that democracy crumbles around the world."

• Reiner later joined a chorus of high-profile figures calling on President Biden to step down as the Democratic presidential nominee.
• He hosted a fundraising event at the time that Kamala Harris attended, per The Hollywood Reporter.

During Trump's second term, Reiner called on Americans to speak out against the Trump administration.

• "It's really gotten to a very, very scary place in this country, and we're going to have to figure out how to dig ourselves out of this before it's too long. But we have got to keep speaking out. Everybody has to keep speaking out," Reiner told WBEZ Chicago in September, per Deadline.

What Rob Reiner said about Charlie Kirk

In the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's death in September, many high-profile MAGA influencers suggested they wouldn't mock or celebrate the untimely death of a political opponent.

• Trump and White House officials also condemned those who spoke ill of Kirk. Thousands were flagged online at the time for purportedly celebrating Kirk's death.
• Yet Trump seized the chance to mock Reiner in death Monday — a contradiction some critics seized on. Others compared how Reiner responded to Kirk's death.

Flashback: Reiner spoke of Kirk's death in September, telling Piers Morgan on his show "Uncensored" that videos of Kirk's death were "absolute horror."

• "I unfortunately saw the video of it," he said. "It's beyond belief what happened to him."
• The attack "should never happen to anybody," he added.

Reiner also told Morgan: "I don't care what your political beliefs are. That's not acceptable. That's not a solution to solving problems."

• He said that Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, made the right comments at his memorial service by forgiving the assassin.

• "I'm Jewish but I believe in the teachings of Jesus and I believe in 'do unto others' and I believe in forgiveness and what she said to me was beautiful. She forgave his assassin. And I think that is admirable."

Rob Reiner and political activism

Reiner's involvement with politics dates back decades.

• In 1998, Reiner launched Proposition 10, a California ballot initiative that called for taxes on cigarettes to fund early childhood development.
• Reiner worked to build bipartisan support from Republicans over the measure, according to the USC Annenberg's Center for Health Journalism. He also inspired other states to create early-childhood health initiatives.
• There was speculation for years that Reiner might run for California governor given his activism and success with Proposition 10. But Reiner said he chose not to run because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
• "My kids are young, and we've all decided this isn't a good time for me to do this," Reiner told the AP. "My focus is the kids of California, and my own kids."

Instead, Reiner became a loud voice for political campaigns in local and national races.

• He supported Howard Dean in his 2004 presidential run and endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2008 (and later in 2015).
• Reiner also challenged California voters' passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California, by founding the American Foundation for Equal Rights to fund and fight against the proposition.
• He reportedly spent millions to fight against the proposition, per The Hollywood Reporter.
• Reiner continued his support through the 2013 Supreme Court battle and, later, the 2015 case that recognized same-sex marriages.

What they're saying: "Rob Reiner's contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a Sunday evening post on X.

More from Axios:

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