Quick Summary: CNN commentator Scott Jennings said he disagreed with and “wished” President Trump had not posted remarks about the fatal stabbing of Rob Reiner and his wife. Jennings told guest host Sara Sidner he could not reconcile Trump’s comments with past failures to consistently condemn celebratory or violent rhetoric. Trump promoted Jennings’ book the same day and faced conservative backlash after a Truth Social post invoking “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” Authorities have arrested the Reiners’ son, Nick Reiner, in connection with the case.
Scott Jennings: 'I Wish He Hadn't' — Criticizes Trump’s Remarks on Rob Reiner Murders
CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings on Monday publicly criticized President Donald Trump’s reaction to the fatal stabbing of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
On CNN NewsNight, guest host Sara Sidner played a clip from September in which Trump condemned those who celebrated violence directed at conservative figures. Sidner asked Jennings: “The hypocrisy that you hear there, right? You hear them talking about the left doing this and then this statement. How do you square those two things?”
“I don’t. I disagree with the statement. I wish he hadn’t made it,” Jennings replied. “After Charlie Kirk was targeted online, many people were quick to celebrate the death, to call him racist or a Nazi and to attribute statements to him that he never made. Those of us on the right who knew and loved Charlie were quick to call that out — to say this is misinformation and a heinous way to treat someone who left behind a grieving widow and small children. So I don’t square it.”
Jennings added that people were still processing the Reiner murders and argued that if higher standards are now expected of public figures, those standards should have been applied consistently in past incidents.
Earlier Monday, Trump promoted Jennings’ book in a Truth Social post, encouraging followers to buy a copy on Amazon. The president also drew criticism after a separate Truth Social post suggesting the Reiners had died from a “crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” a comment that prompted backlash from several conservative voices, including some Fox News personalities and former Trump senior adviser David Urban.
Authorities have arrested Nick Reiner, the son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, in connection with the killings. Video of Jennings’ remarks aired on CNN.
Note: This article was first published by Mediaite.
