Michael Wolff said Trump’s response to the tragedy showed behavior that should deeply concern the public (Supplied/Reuters)
A longtime chronicler of Donald Trump is raising alarms about the president’s judgment after a controversial social media post reacting to the killing of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife. On Tuesday, journalist and author Michael Wolff said Trump’s response to the tragedy showed behavior that should deeply concern the public, arguing the president appeared genuinely “off his f—— rocker.”
Wolff, who has written four books about Trump over the past several decades, made the remarks on Inside Trump’s Head, a podcast he co-hosts with Joana Coles of The Daily Beast. The discussion centered on Trump’s post on Truth Social following news that Reiner, a longtime and outspoken critic of Trump, had been murdered at his Los Angeles home along with his wife, Michele.
In his post, Trump claimed Reiner suffered from “Trump Derrangement Syndrome” and implied that this condition may have contributed to his death. The comments immediately drew backlash for appearing to politicize a violent crime and for targeting a man who had just been killed.
Wolff framed Trump’s reaction as part of a broader and troubling pattern, suggesting it reflected an accelerating loss of restraint rather than a momentary lapse.
“As anyone has gone through this, just because your older parent, let’s say, is showing signs of losing it, does not mean that they will not continue down the road of losing it for quite some time,” Wolff said. “We do have three years to go.”
Reiner and his wife were found dead over the weekend, and authorities have since charged their son, Nick, with two counts of first-degree murder. The case has shocked Hollywood and reignited conversations about family violence, mental health, and gun access. Against that backdrop, Trump’s decision to weigh in with a personal and political jab struck many observers as jarring.
Wolff argued that Trump’s reaction served no strategic or political purpose and could only damage him, particularly with voters already uneasy about his temperament. Yet, Wolff said, Trump appears indifferent to how such comments are received.
“You fall asleep, okay, not a good look, but it’s not really your fault,” Wolff said, referencing concerns tied to Trump’s age. “ But this is something to have said this, and it was unnecessary for him to say anything, to have dived in. And so proactively done something that will create nothing … That’s derrangement.”
The author contrasted unavoidable human moments, such as fatigue, with what he described as a voluntary and reckless decision to inject himself into a sensitive situation. In Wolff’s view, the episode highlights Trump’s impulse to dominate every news cycle, even when silence would be the safer option.
Trump’s supporters have often dismissed Wolff as hostile and unreliable, pointing to past disputes over sourcing in his books. Still, Wolff’s criticism echoes a growing chorus of commentators who argue that Trump’s public behavior has become more erratic during his current term.
The White House has not commented directly on Wolff’s remarks or on the criticism surrounding Trump’s post about Reiner. Trump, meanwhile, has continued posting on Truth Social at a rapid pace, largely focusing on political opponents, perceived enemies in the media, and grievances from past battles.
For Wolff, the incident goes beyond bad optics or poor messaging. He framed it as a signal that Trump is increasingly unfiltered, even when reacting to events involving death and violence.
The killing of Rob Reiner and his wife would normally prompt expressions of sympathy from political leaders across the spectrum. Instead, Trump’s response has become the story itself, fueling debate over presidential norms, empathy, and mental fitness.
As Wolff put it, the concern is not that Trump made one offensive remark, but that such moments are becoming easier for him and harder to predict. With years still left in the term, Wolff warned, the public may need to brace for more episodes that test the boundaries of what Americans expect from a president.
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