Jimmy Kimmel delivered a blistering response on Jimmy Kimmel Live after Donald Trump made inflammatory remarks following the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Addressing viewers with visible anger and disbelief, Kimmel said the country needed compassion and leadership in moments of tragedy, but instead received cruelty. He described Trump’s words as vile and unnecessary, criticizing the tone and timing of the comments while reminding audiences that public figures set the emotional temperature for millions of people watching.
During the monologue, Kimmel read aloud Trump’s Truth Social post in which the president blamed Reiner’s death on what he called “Trump derangement syndrome,” language that sparked immediate backlash online. Kimmel said he initially thought the post was fake because it crossed a line even by Trump’s standards, but quickly realized it was real. He called the message hateful and accused Trump of using a moment of grief to settle personal political scores, something Kimmel said revealed a profound lack of empathy.
Kimmel also reacted to Trump’s later comments to reporters, where the president doubled down instead of walking back his statement. Trump described Reiner as “deranged” and dismissed his political criticism as obsession, remarks Kimmel said were both petty and dangerous. In response, Kimmel fired back with two scathing words, calling Trump’s mind “corroded” and warning viewers that this kind of rhetoric coming from the highest office should alarm everyone, regardless of political affiliation.
Closing the segment, Kimmel urged people not to normalize language that dehumanizes the dead or their families. He said that from his own interactions with Rob Reiner, he believed Reiner would have wanted the public to keep calling out what Kimmel described as cruelty and irresponsibility in leadership. While other late night hosts also acknowledged the tragedy with restraint and solemnity, Kimmel made it clear he would not soften his stance, insisting that silence in moments like this only allows harmful behavior to continue unchecked.