Former US president Donald Trump has drawn sharp criticism after claiming the deaths of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were linked to what he described as 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.'
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump said Reiner, whom he described as a 'once very talented movie director and comedy star', had suffered from a 'massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease' which he said fuelled anger towards him.
Trump went on to claim the director's outspoken opposition to his presidency had 'driven people crazy', suggesting it played a role in the circumstances surrounding his death.
The remarks have prompted widespread condemnation online.
The US president said in a post on Truth Social: 'A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood.
'Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.
'He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before.
'May Rob and Michele rest in peace!,' the controversial post concluded.
The comments came as Los Angeles Police Department confirmed it is investigating the deaths of Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele as an apparent homicide after the couple were found dead at their Brentwood home.
Both are understood to have suffered injuries consistent with a knife attack.
Emergency services were called to the property on Sunday afternoon, where the couple were pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives from the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division are leading the investigation.
A family member is understood to be assisting investigators, while authorities stressed the inquiry remains at an early stage.
Reiner was one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation, directing a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films across the 1980s and 1990s.
His best-known works include Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men. He also enjoyed a successful acting career, first rising to fame in the sitcom All in the Family.
Tributes have poured in from across the film industry and political world, with many praising Reiner's cultural impact and expressing shock at the circumstances of his death. Trump's remarks stand in stark contrast to the tone of remembrance from much of Hollywood.