Podcaster Joe Rogan criticized former President Donald Trump for comments he made following the death of Hollywood director Rob Reiner. During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan said Trump’s remarks demonstrated a lack of empathy.
“The Rob Reiner thing is not funny, right? That’s like the same thing. It’s the same kind of thinking. And when you see it with no empathy, that’s when it’s hard to like [him],” Rogan said.
Comedian Shane Gillis, Rogan’s guest on the episode, added, “I wish he could apologize. I know he can’t and he won’t.”
Their remarks echo criticism from political figures and media personalities following Trump’s post, which came shortly after news of Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner’s deaths. Their son, Nick Reiner, was later arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Moments after Reiner’s passing was reported, Trump posted that the director had died “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Reiner, a longtime Democratic donor, was a vocal opponent of Trump. In a September interview with MSNBC’s MS NOW, he warned, “Make no mistake. We have a year before this country becomes a full-on autocracy and democracy completely leaves us.”
Despite Reiner’s outspoken criticism of Trump, Rogan said the former president’s remarks were uncalled for. “It’s no different than people that were celebrating when Charlie Kirk got shot. It’s same kind of thing,” he said.
Rogan also compared the reaction to what might have happened if former President Barack Obama had made similar comments. “That would be crazy,” he said. “It just shows you how crazy it is the way Trump thinks and talks.”
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Look, it’s a couple of Captain Obviouses!