I've been a vocal critic of Donald Trump's response to Rob Reiner's murder. I wish he had stayed silent like he did when Dick Cheney died. What Trump posted on Truth Social was, frankly, indefensible. I may not agree with Reiner about anything political, but he gave us films like Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally, movies I've watched countless times. The murder of Reiner and his wife at the hands of their son was brutal and shocking—and Trump’s response rightfully drew bipartisan condemnation.
But here's the thing. I’ve seen the reactions from the left to Trump’s comments. While they are technically correct, they have absolutely zero moral authority to lecture anyone about decency in the face of political violence and death.
Let's not pretend the left has been a bastion of grace and propriety. I'll never forget how many liberals openly lamented that Trump survived the assassination attempt in Butler, PA, in July 2024, or how they mocked and cheered when Charlie Kirk was killed in September. That wasn't some fringe reaction—it was widespread, loud, and shameless. And what Trump said about Reiner, while indefensible, wasn’t nearly as bad as the stuff we’ve heard from the left.
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Heck, Kamala Harris joked about killing Trump back in 2018. Mere days before Charlie Kirk was assassinated, her former running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, was practically rooting for Trump’s death when those bizarre rumors that he had died went viral. Nearly 100 House Democrats refused to support a resolution condemning political violence after Kirk’s assassination. Virginia voters elected Jay Jones, a man who literally said that former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert deserved "two bullets to the head" and fantasized about scenarios involving Gilbert's wife "holding their dying children in her arms,” in the hopes of changing Gilbert’s views on gun control.
This is what the Democratic Party has become.
In fact, a YouGov poll from September laid bare just how twisted the left has become. Among self-identified "very liberal" voters, 24% said it's okay to be happy about the death of a political opponent. Compare that to just 3-4% among very conservative and conservative respondents. Even more disturbing, 25% of very liberals agreed that violence can be justified to achieve political goals, versus only 3-6% of conservatives.
New poll from YouGov
— Ryan Saavedra (@RyanSaavedra) September 16, 2025
Agree it's okay to be happy about death of political figure they oppose:
Very Liberal: 24%
Liberal: 10%
Moderate: 7%
Conservative: 4%
Very Conservative: 3%
Agree violence can be justified to achieve political goals:
VL: 25%
L: 17%
M: 9%
C: 6%
VC: 3% pic.twitter.com/GztzwPcaqv
Again, what Trump said about Reiner wasn't nearly as bad as what the left has said in response to the deaths of conservatives, but I still won’t condone it. Trump was wrong, and conservatives are free to say so. But only those liberals who loudly condemned the left-wing hatefests over conservative deaths have any standing to complain now. Trump may deserve the criticism he's getting, but Democrats attacking him are hypocrites with no moral high ground whatsoever.
