Maria Shriver urged White House aides and members of President Trump’s family to put him in a “time‑out” after he made remarks about the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife. Shriver said the president’s comments were self‑focused and divisive at a time of national grief. She pleaded with those close to Trump to remind him of the dignity and responsibility of the presidency and recalled her family’s longstanding friendship with the Reiners. Authorities say the deaths were reportedly committed by the couple’s son; Trump’s suggestion that political views caused the crime has not been substantiated.
Maria Shriver Urges White House To Put Trump In A ‘Time‑Out’ After Remarks On Reiner Death
JB Lacroix / Getty Images
Maria Shriver publicly appealed to White House aides and members of President Donald Trump’s family to put the president in a “time‑out” after he made what she described as insensitive comments about the death of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife.
Shriver criticized Trump for not using violent tragedies to bring Americans together. / Ethan Miller / Getty Images
In an Instagram video posted Monday, Shriver — a niece of the late President John F. Kennedy — said the nation is reeling from several violent episodes, including a shooting at Brown University, an attack at Australia’s Bondi Beach and the fatal double homicide of Rob Reiner and his wife in Los Angeles. She argued that, instead of helping to unite the country, the president was using the tragedies to speak about himself in “a petty, divisive way.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Shriver said Monday, should confront her boss about his
“I don’t care who you voted for in this moment in time,” Shriver said. “But the president of the United States is supposed to have character... to know how to bring people together, to be a dignified human being who raises us up.”
Shriver criticized Trump for publicly linking the tragedy to what he has called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and for calling Reiner “deranged” while speaking in the Oval Office. Authorities say the deaths were carried out by Reiner’s 32‑year‑old son, Nick Reiner; the president’s suggestion that political views caused the incident has not been substantiated.
Shriver and the Reiners were close friends. / The Hollywood Curtain/Bauer-Grif / GC Images
Addressing those close to the president, Shriver urged: “Talk to him. Knock some sense into him. Put him in a time‑out. Explain to him the possibility of this office. Explain to him the responsibility of this office. Explain to him that we have had enough.”
Personal Reflections On The Reiners
In an earlier Instagram post, Shriver recalled a long friendship between the two families. “We raised our kids together, from mommy and me on up,” she wrote. She described recent moments they shared: dinners, laughs and a belief that the Reiners were focused on making the country and the world better.
Shriver also noted the couple’s devotion to their children. The article references Rob Reiner’s past public discussion of his son Nick’s struggles with addiction, periods of homelessness and repeated attempts at rehabilitation. In interviews with the Los Angeles Times and People, Rob Reiner described the family’s efforts to find effective care for Nick and reflected on the limits of outside advice when helping a troubled child.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.
