A Tale of Two Conservatives... and One Dead Liberal

If I had to pick two people who speak without a filter, they would be Donald Trump and James Woods.

Everyone knows who Donald Trump is, the 45th and 47th President of the United States. Before that, he was a legendary real estate tycoon, a casino owner and operator, and a New York City icon. He also owned a bunch of world class golf courses and married – and divorced – two very beautiful wives before settling on the prettiest of the three.

For those who aren’t familiar with James Woods, he is a relatively famous Hollywood actor who starred in such films as The Onion Field (1979), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Salvador (1986), Nixon (1995), Casino (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Another Day in Paradise (1998), Any Given Sunday (1999), and the Virgin Suicides (1999). During his five-decade career, Woods has received three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, while being nominated for two Academy Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

These days, James Woods is better known for his Twitter (now X) account because he hasn’t made a movie since 2013. A registered Democrat until the impeachment of President Bill Clinton when, in his words, "every single Democrat without exception stood behind a convicted perjurer,” Woods became an independent for almost 20 years. Today, he is an outspoken Republican and a staunch supporter of President Trump.

"The blacklist against conservatives in Hollywood is very real," Woods says, explaining why he hasn’t been offered any new roles since he became a Trump supporter.

Donald Trump and James Woods. Two peas in a pod, right? Well yes… and no.

I mentioned yesterday that I would pick up where I left off with the gruesome murders of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele at the hand of their son Nick. Reiner was a talented actor and director as well as a political activist with strong left-wing leanings, who wasn’t afraid to share his often-radical views.

And yes, some of those views concerned Donald J. Trump.

“Donald Trump is the single most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States,” Reiner said in December 2017. “He is mentally unfit. Not only does he not understand how government works, he has no interest in trying to find out how it works.”

Reiner’s opinion of President Trump hadn’t changed much over the years and in 2023, he said, “You have one candidate, Trump, who actually tells you he’s going to govern like an authoritarian. Do we want fascism or do we want to continue the 248 years of self-rule? Do we want to continue democracy or do we want to slip into fascism?”

And as recently as this October, Reiner doubled down on his criticism of President Trump, saying, “It’s beyond McCarthy era-esque. That feels quaint compared to what’s going on in America right now. The Hollywood community is very much aware of their First Amendment rights being infringed. So, we’re well aware of what’s happening.”

Let’s just say that Reiner wasn’t a fan of Donald Trump, the man, or his policies… and he took every opportunity to make his antipathy clear.

And so, I guess it wasn’t a surprise that President Trump didn’t respond to the news of Reiner’s tragic murder with an outpouring of grief and sorrow. However, I don’t think anyone expected him to seize the opportunity to dance on Reiner’s grave while his mutilated body was still warm.

In his now infamous post on Truth Social, President Trump’s first and last sentences were fine. “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood,” President Trump tweeted. “May Rob and Michele rest in peace!”

Unfortunately, the childish rant that filled the space between those two bookends was so reprehensible that even some of his most loyal political allies found them repugnant. Hopefully, more will soon join the growing chorus of Republican officeholders and conservative commentators demanding an apology. However, based on Mr. Trump’s track record, don’t hold your breath.

Calling Reiner a “tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star,” President Trump then blamed Reiner’s murder – and that of his wife – on “a mind crippling disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome”, his “raging obsession” with President Trump, and his “obvious paranoia” about the current administration’s accomplishments.

No, really, a supposedly grown-up man, approaching age 80 and thought to be in full control of his faculties, actually said that about someone who had just had his throat slit by his own son.

Can you for an instant imagine any other president in the 249-year history of the United States using that kind of language to describe a murder victim, even one with whom they had had serious disagreements?

Now contrast President Trump’s juvenile tweet with the gracious words of James Woods, whose political views are the antithesis of Rob Reiner’s.

“People who didn’t know that Rob and I knew each other, they would see us laughing and kidding each other and they would go, ‘How is it that you and Rob Reiner are friends?” Woods told Fox News on Monday night.

“I judge people by how they treat me and Rob Reiner was a godsend in my life. We got along great. We loved each other,” Woods said.

Although he did not agree with Reiner’s political views, Woods said that his friend was a “great patriot”, adding that, “We had a different path to the same destination, which was a country we both love.”

“Because you disagree with people doesn’t mean that you have to hate people,” Woods said, before condemning those who were saying “horrible things” about Reiner following his death as “infuriating and distasteful.”

“Did I agree with his politics? I did not. Did I love him as a friend, as an artist, as an icon of Hollywood and as a patriot? I most certainly did. And I am just devastated by this terrible event. Especially for his family,” Woods concluded.

And so, which conservative sounds more gracious, more empathetic, and dare I say, more presidential? Donald Trump – the petulant man-child whose policies I almost always support but whose personal behavior I often abhor – or James Woods, a once-celebrated actor now resigned to performing voiceovers because of his conservative opinions?

Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Reiner was asked about it by Piers Morgan on his Uncensored show.

“I unfortunately saw the video of it. It’s beyond belief what happened to him,” Reiner said.

The attack “should never happen to anybody,” Reiner added. “I don’t care what your political beliefs are. That’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems.”

Reiner also warmly praised Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, for saying at a memorial service for her husband that she forgave his killer.

“I’m Jewish but I believe in the teachings of Jesus, and I believe in ‘do unto others’ and I believe in forgiveness and what she said to me was beautiful. She forgave his assassin,” Reiner said. “And I think that is admirable.”

For what it’s worth, I agree with James Woods, Erika Kirk, and Jesus. And in this limited instance, I also agree with Rob Reiner.

Unfortunately, I cannot agree with our Narcissist-in-Chief, who should exhibit more empathy and exercise more self-control.

You owe the Reiner family – and the rest of America – a sincere apology, Mr. President.