If you are a Trump supporter who wants to dismiss his comments on the death of Rob Reiner as “Trump just being Trump” and not something much more sinister, I hope you’ll continue reading and then reconsider your views.

After the horrific deaths of Rob and his wife, the man who wants to be king posted on Truth Social that Reiner’s death was "reportedly due to the anger he caused by others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction … known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME."

Now, on the surface, you might think that this is no different than any other time Trump wants to make some unrelated news story all about him. But if you take a closer look, it’s much worse than that.

In his post, he is rationalizing that being a Trump critic is a valid reason to be murdered. That if you point out what an incompetent, soulless man this megalomaniac is, your death might be justified.

Now I’ll admit when I first heard of the couple’s untimely deaths, my first thought was “I hope it wasn’t some MAGA supporter.” I was almost relieved when I found out it wasn’t. If Rob Reiner died because of his views on the president, it would only escalate political violence in this country.

But if you read between the lines, it’s obvious that Trump is saying that political violence is acceptable if it’s used to silence his critics. He welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with open arms. The prince was responsible for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who often pointed out the prince’s wrongdoings.

Remember, our president is the man who posted an AI-animated video of him flying over a group of No Kings protesters and dumping shit on them. He dumped an especially large load on the AI version of Harry Sisson. Harry Sisson is a 23-year-old TikTok star who is a prominent critic of President Trump.

So, if he’ll laughingly dump fecal matter on an American citizen, is it that much of a stretch to think that he thinks it’s OK to justify the murder of a political opponent?

And while some Republicans have given tepid critiques of his post, too many of our Republican elected officials have remained quiet, keeping their heads down, hoping this will all blow over.

But it’s not going to just blow over. Trump isn’t going to change. He’s not going to do a thing to unite this country. He’ll continue to work to divide us, and he’ll continue to hurt the Republican brand.

Now, to be fair, not every Trump supporter is as heartless as our Social Media Troll in Chief. Hollywood actor and big-time MAGA supporter James Woods posted, “ Rob and I remained good friends ever since we made GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI. The studio didn’t think I was old enough to do the part, but Rob fought for me. Political differences never stood in the way of our love and respect for each other. I am devastated by this terrible event.”

On the other side of the aisle, Rob Reiner gave a similar message after the murder of Charlie Kirk.

That’s how things are supposed to be. You can disagree with a person’s politics, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose your ability to show compassion and be a decent human being.

It’s not enough to just be outraged by the president’s comments. We need to all speak up and say this is not right. This is not normal.

Since Trump was reinstated in office, we’ve seen Democratic victories in many other traditionally red districts. Whether it’s right or wrong, Republican candidates are being judged by the actions of their leader, and more and more Americans have had just about enough. It’s very possible that Dan Osborn, Lynn Walz, and other Democratic candidates could have success in this red state come next November.

So if you’re a Trump supporter who wants to dismiss the president’s comments as Trump just being Trump, I suggest you take a moment to look deep into your soul.

How would you feel if the leader of our country said hateful things about the death of your parents? The death of your aunt, uncle, close friend, or even casual acquaintance?

America is better than this.

At least we should be.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.