Maria Shriver, 70, launched a pointed response to President Donald Trump following his controversial remarks about the deaths of acclaimed director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, who were murdered Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home. The couple’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with their deaths.
Shriver, the niece of President John F. Kennedy, posted a video on Instagram and also wrote on X, directly challenging the 79-year-old president’s response to the double homicide. Shriver, who counted the Reiners as close friends, expressed her frustration with Trump’s behavior in unusually forceful terms, stating that his comments made her “sick to my stomach.”
Trump posted a statement about Reiner’s death that blamed the director’s murder on what the president characterized as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The president suggested that Reiner, who had been a vocal critic of Trump’s presidency, suffered from a condition that contributed to the circumstances surrounding his death. When questioned by reporters in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, Dec. 15, Trump called Reiner “deranged” and said the film director was “not a fan” of his administration.
In her Instagram video, Shriver urged White House staff and Trump’s family members to intervene. She said the president should be “put in a time-out” and appealed to those around him to explain “the responsibility of this office.” The journalist and author, daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, referenced shootings at Brown University and Bondi Beach, Australia, arguing that Trump was failing to use moments of national grief to bring Americans together.
Shriver accused Trump of lacking human decency and described his behavior as “petty and divisive.” In her posts, she emphasized her personal connection to the Reiners, revealing that the couples had dinner together in the past week. She wrote that she and the Reiners raised their children together and shared countless memories over the years.
The veteran journalist made clear her message transcended partisan politics. She told her followers that regardless of who they voted for, the president of the United States should exhibit character and dignity. Shriver said she felt compelled to speak out despite believing her late friends would have urged restraint.
Rob Reiner was a film director whose career spanned decades. He was well known as the son-in-law of Archie Bunker in the famous sitcom “All in the Family.” He had been an outspoken critic of Trump’s policies and rhetoric throughout the president’s political career. The director’s public opposition to Trump had been well-documented, making the president’s response to his death particularly controversial among Hollywood figures and political observers.
Nick Reiner, who faces charges in connection with his parents’ deaths, had experienced drug addiction issues, according to multiple reports. The case has drawn significant attention, given Rob Reiner’s status in Hollywood. The murders occurred at the family’s home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, shocking the entertainment community and the American public.
Shriver’s comments represent one of the most direct challenges to Trump’s conduct from a member of the Kennedy family. Her appeal to those working for the president to restrain him reflects broader concerns about his use of presidential communications, particularly in moments when traditional norms would call for more measured responses. The journalist emphasized that Americans “have had enough” of what she characterized as inappropriate presidential behavior.
In her social media posts, Shriver defended the Reiners’ parenting, noting they “loved their kids so much, and they never stopped trying to be really good parents.” She described the couple as devoted to their family, their friends, and their country, characterizing them as people who wanted to make America better and never gave up on that vision despite political differences.
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between Trump and his critics, even in circumstances involving personal tragedy. Shriver’s intervention adds the weight of Kennedy family history to criticisms of the president’s approach to public discourse and his handling of sensitive situations. Her call for those close to Trump to take action suggests frustration extends beyond typical partisan disagreements to concerns about fundamental standards of presidential conduct.