The Philip DeFranco Show - Trump’s Psychotic Rob Reiner Attack Exposes Way More Than MAGA Hypocrisy

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wait to see if there's a long-standing impact here or it's just a blip. And then I've got more news for you in a second, but do you ever wonder how many subscriptions you're actually paying for? Because if you're like me, it's more than you think. Right, and thanks to today's sponsor, Rocket Money, I found subscriptions I totally forgot about, like the random app I hadn't touched in months. And Rocket Money, it's the personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings.

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Starting point is 00:01:09 they were found dead in their home yesterday afternoon. And it appears like they were murdered. Their son Nick's been arrested and booked for murder. And the reactions, including an absolutely psychotic one from the person in charge of this country, they're flying everywhere. But with there right now being so many unanswered questions, let's start with the specific details of what we do know.

Starting point is 00:01:25 Or so yesterday afternoon, the L.A. fire department responded to a medical aid request that the house of the Reiner is owned in Brentwood. There, the bodies were found with knife wounds and the LAPD confirmed that detectives from the robbery homicide division were investigating the deaths as an apparent homicide. And also, if you're not familiar with Rob Reiner, you're probably at least familiar with his

Starting point is 00:01:40 work and film and television over the last 40 years. Right, he directed This Is Spinal Tap when Harry met Sally, the Princess Bride, just to name a few of them. He also always acted, right, he went two Emmys for his role in the sitcom, all in the family, he made an appearance in Sleepy's in Seattle and even had a recurring role in season four of The Bear. And then, I mean, it's just the entertainment stuff.

Starting point is 00:01:56 He was also a liberal political activist who, campaigned on behalf of marriage equality, spearheaded campaigns against smoking, and even considered running for governor against Arnold Schwarzenegger back in 2006. Right then, as far as he and his wife, Michelle, they met while he was working on when Harry met Sally and got married in 1989 and went on to have three kids of their own, two sons, Nick, and Jake, and one daughter, Romy. And it's also with Rob having come into the relationship with an adopted daughter from a previous marriage. You know, regarding this family, Rob and his son Nick even made a movie together, which premiered in 2015 about the issues that their family endured. And specifically, the movie centered around a character inspired by Nick and his struggle with addiction.

Starting point is 00:02:28 I had no idea how difficult it was for him, but I knew what I was going through and I thought maybe there's something in that in a story, but then I kind of put it aside because I thought, this is too raw and it's too, you know, difficult. But I guess when we had a little distance on it, then we could kind of start looking at it. We now flash forward from that clip back in 2016 to it being reported that sources have confirmed that Nick killed Rob and Michelle. Right from there, you have TMZ saying that an argument led to Nick attacking his parents and it was one of his sisters that found. the bodies, TMZ then further reporting that Nick was in custody of the LA County Sheriff's Department. And then, just this afternoon, you had the LAPD putting out a statement saying that Nick Reiner is being held without bail and their investigation has found that he is responsible for his parents' death. You know, while the public is waiting for more information, many people have been chiming in from around the internet to talk about Rob and Michelle and more in their loss.

Starting point is 00:03:17 Many in the film industry highlighting his beloved work, as well as his position as a staple of the entertainment space. Shon Aston, president of Sag Aftra, saying that Rob Reiner is one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television. Saying the impact he made on American culture simply can't be overstated. You then also had politicians like Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass, focusing on his advocacy. Right, and initially, if you looked around, there was a lot of love and sadness for both people on the left and the right towards what happened with Reiner. And with that, you even saw many prominent Republicans saying, hey, people on the left, look at what's happening. We're saying liberals are desperately searching for a prominent conservative mocking Rob Reiner and his wife passing and saying they've seen nothing but love. Which I guess possibly Donald Trump saw those takes and was like, I'm gonna be a big asshole and make all of the

Starting point is 00:03:58 this about me and just be a disgusting piece of shit. Because he decided this morning to post about Reiner and his wife, saying, 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, Michelle, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-cripling 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.

Starting point is 00:04:27 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 Michelle rest in peace. With then, even some of Donald Trump's most ardent supporters going, what the fuck? How is this real? This is disgraceful. Granted, you had some still trying to play defense for the president. And well, of course, you know, we're still waiting for more information to come in, more confirmation to come in.

Starting point is 00:04:51 Through the likes of Republican Marjorie Taylor Green writing, many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It's incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy, especially when it ends in murder, and saying this is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies. And you know, it appears that one of the reasons, especially among even further right-wing circles, that Rob Reiner was given at least some grace, not universal. You know, people noting, Rob Reiner was both classy and sincere when Charlie Kirk was murdered, saying, let's return the sentiment now that he and his wife have been murdered. You know, for now, regardless of the self-centered sundowning ramblings of the president,

Starting point is 00:05:20 we're gonna have to wait to get more information about the death of Rob and Michelle Reiner, as well as what's happening around Nick, including why he'd do this, as well as what's in store for him now. But then, next up to date, let's talk about Barry Weiss, Candace Owens, and Erica Kirk. Because Erica, the late Charlie Kirk's widow, she announced last night, Candice Owens and I are meeting for a private in-person discussion on Monday, December 15th. Candice Owens and I have agreed that public discussions, live streams, and tweets are on hold until after this meeting. I look forward to a productive conversation.

Starting point is 00:05:47 With Owens, then replying to that, I am very much looking forward to this discussion. So if you've been keeping up, it would appear that the live stream that was scheduled for today where Turning Point USA was going to debunk Owens' conspiracy theories that's either been canceled or postponed. And with this, there's just been a wide range of reactions. Or with some saying, it looks like it's going to be good, where they're going to be putting this conflict to bed away from the cameras rather than creating a spectacle. Then you also have others saying they doubt that anything productive is actually going to come from this, especially if it's not recorded. People arguing that Owens and Kirk, they could just go out there and make up whatever they want about whatever was said. Others also speculating that threats could be made, deals could be made, just, you know, whatever you can think up.

Starting point is 00:06:20 Because, you know, there's not a little disagreement here. You have Candice Owens saying that she believes that Charlie's assassination was plotted by some conspiracy between Israel, France, maybe Egypt, the United States government, and people inside TPUSA. So really there's a many skeptical that a conversation is going to make everything hunky dory. And this is also sort of where Barry Weiss enters the picture because she asked Erica Kirk what she had to say to Owens and others out there spreading conspiracy theories. And she said, stop. That's it. That's all I have to say. Stop. And so one that might give us a little insight as to kind of the, this.

Starting point is 00:06:52 tone or the stance she's going to take during this private discussion, but also, two, we should take a moment to talk about the person who's interviewing Erica there, Barry Weiss. Because ever since Paramount Head and Trump ally David Ellison anointed her, editor-in-chief, a CBS News back in October, she has attracted a lot of criticism for her editorial changes of the network. And that, you know, it really came to head Saturday night when she personally moderated a CBS Town Hall with Erica Kirk. It was a move that struck many observers as odd right off the back, because, one, CBS News doesn't typically host town halls like this, and two, senior editorial executives likewise typically stay. off camera. And you could even see where this was going just by looking at the event's sponsors who included the Right Wing Heritage Foundation, a Christian prayer app, a faith-based film studio, and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. So then there was also a relatively small handful of mainstream advertisers like Spotify and TikTok. Also, if you

Starting point is 00:07:37 apply to attend the town hall, you were asked a series of questions including, do you consider yourself a conservative, are you grieving the loss of a loved one and are you an evangelical Christian? Plus, for many, it just kind of felt weird that after Erica Kirk's been giving interviews to numerous outlets and podcasters spoken at TPUSA events and even closed out the New York Times Deal Book Summit. You would wise bring her on to CBS as if she was finally being given the chance to speak. And as far as the town hall itself, there were a few moments that have been grabbing the most attention, starting with a question from Hunter Kozak, the guy who was debating Charlie Kirk

Starting point is 00:08:05 right before he was shot. And you would Kozak saying, hey, I admire how you condemn violent rhetoric, but what about Donald Trump? Aren't our nation's leaders most responsible for diffusing violence? President Trump called on six Democratic lawmakers to be tried for sedition, which he clarified was punishable by death. he then reposted a simple message, hang them. I understand your sentiment. I do.

Starting point is 00:08:27 But this is also so much deeper than just one person. This starts at the home, okay? This starts with family. We have to look in the mirror when you become a father, when you become a mother. How are you raising your kids? Are you taking responsibility? Or are you giving them a device

Starting point is 00:08:49 and saying, go down that rabbit hole. I'm trying to go to Pilates class. Do you want your kid to be a thought leader or an assassin? So you saw that provoking a lot of ridicule online, people saying things like, Erica Kirk shaming moms for taking an hour for Pilates while she's on TV every single day is peak fucking hypocrisy. Also, at another point in this town hall,

Starting point is 00:09:09 someone said Erica, we all know about anti-Semitism on the left, but can you condemn anti-Semitism on the right? And at first, Erica did that in general terms without naming any names. Charlie always would say very clearly, Jew hate was brain rock. How could you hate the Jewish people? But then she also seemed to suggest that to stop anti-Semitism, people need to become Christian. We are broken, sinful humans in need of a Lord and Savior.

Starting point is 00:09:35 And that's why it is so important to give your life to the Lord. Because once you do that and you fully surrender to the Lord, you have no room in your heart for hate. And you cannot separate the Old Testament from the New Testament. you cannot. Right, and that's a theme that many took note of because throughout this entire town hall, nearly all of Erica's answers and some of Weiss's questions,

Starting point is 00:09:54 really it harped on Christianity. Right, with Weiss and other attendees asking Erica how she follows Charlie's practice of keeping the Sabbath, soliciting advice for Christian women seeking conservative husbands in big cities and asking how she trusts God despite unfair and immense suffering.

Starting point is 00:10:07 Right, and then also, even after the event, Weiss seemed like, you know, she was just overwhelmed by the aura of spiritual power surrounding Erica Kirk. Well, she is a deeply religious Christian. I'm not Christian, but what bearing witness to something that in her is clearly, very deeply held and sincere was quite powerful and powerful for everyone in the audience. And so, you know, at the very least, this was described as a unique piece of programming for CBS News, one of America's most venerated legacy media networks. And with it, you had many people giving reactions like, how humiliating for CBS to go from Walter Cronkite, tearfully breaking the news of JFK's assassination and death to Barry Weiss doing a town hall with a widow of a racist pot.

Starting point is 00:10:46 who is milking her husband's death for every penny, as well as there has never been a brand so thoroughly destroyed in such a short period. This is what they're going to do to CNN next to the extent they haven't already. Though it also appears like it wasn't just CBS viewers who were turned off by the event, but maybe advertisers as well, because you had variety reporting that most of the commercial breaks were filled with cheaper direct response advertisers. Things like homeserv.com, carfax and even Chia pet. You know, for context, the way direct response advertising works is that networks typically just put them on the air whenever it's convenient, right? Not when they're the first choice. So when you see a bunch of those kinds of ads and one program like this, it suggests that the network just couldn't line up more mainstream support for its content. You know, while the Saturday 8 p.m. slot given to the town hall is one of the least watched hours and broadcast TV that also doesn't explain why big advertisers like Amazon, Ferraro Group, and Procter & Gamble return to the 9 p.m. rebroadcast of 48 hours. And so, you know, that's something to take a look at because that could be a signal that CBS News's new editorial direction isn't necessarily the right one from a business perspective.

Starting point is 00:11:39 But I'll say regardless there, you have why seeming very intent on keeping this going. This is going to be the first of many conversations and debates on CBS news about the things that matter most, which are often the hardest to talk about. You will not agree with everything you hear tonight or in any of these other broadcasts. And that is exactly the point. So this also, as you reportedly have network staffers telling the independent, David Ellison must be mortified by his $150 million investment in someone who so quickly revealed themselves to be the most shallow, least interesting person in TV news as well.

Starting point is 00:12:11 is how embarrassing Barry's been editor-in-chief for five seconds and has revealed that all she really wants is to be on TV herself. And then we're going to dive into even more in just a minute, but first let me say, you know, debt is big. I know you didn't ask for me, but I live here now, energy. And that's exactly what today's sponsor, PDS debt exists to finally evict that unwanted roommate from your financial life. If you're juggling credit cards, personal loans, collections, or medical bills that hit harder than the hospital visit, PDS debt looks at your actual finance. It's not the imaginary budget that banks think you live on. No minimum credit score, no judgment, no condescending, stop buying latte's lectures. Their team builds a custom plan designed to break the cycle instead of letting interest just chew through your wallet every month.

Starting point is 00:12:49 And the results, I mean, A plus rating with a BVB, thousands of five-star reviews on Google and Trust Pilot and hundreds of thousands of people already helped. Meanwhile, banks celebrate every time your balance grows because your stress pays their bonuses. And ignoring it doesn't make it smaller. It just means more fees, more interest, more. How is this legal moment stacking up faster than you can breathe. You know, if I ever needed help, this is where I'd go. Actual humans whose whole job is getting you out of debt, not keeping you stuck in it. So, hey, you're 30 seconds away from starting your own fresh start. You can get your free debt assessment at PDSdebt.com slash DeFranco. That's PDS Debt.com slash DeFranco, or just scan that QR code on the screen. But then, next up in the news today, this is horrifying.

Starting point is 00:13:23 Australia just got hit with its deadliest shooting in 30 years. With police saying that a father and son opened fire at Bondi Beach and Sydney on Sunday at the same time that there was an event taking place to mark the first day of Hanuk. And so you had officials saying that this shooting was a terrorist event and it was designed to target Jewish people. And so with that, at least 15 people were killed, including a Holocaust survivor, including children, 42 people were taken to the hospital, and as a recording, 26 people remain hospitalized. Though also with that, I've got to say, the numbers could have been even higher if this played out slightly differently. Right, because one, police located three improvised explosive devices at the crime scene after the attack, which thankfully were never detonated. And two, in a moment that was captured on video, there was a man who's widely been hailed as a hero, tackling and disarming one of the shooters while the attack

Starting point is 00:14:02 attack was underway. Right, and that man has since been identified as 43-year-old father or two, Ahmed al-Ame. He's an Australian citizen who immigrated from Syria back in 2006, and he's now one of those in the hospital. And he was visited by the premiere of New South Wales, who also wrote on X, Ahmed is a real-life hero, his incredible bravery, no doubt, saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk. And along with thanks and praise, you had a GoFundMe page actually being set up to support Ahmed, and it's already raised the equivalent of about a million dollars, including roughly $65,000 from billionaire Bill Ackman. But then, jumping to the other side of this, right?

Starting point is 00:14:32 The suspects, they've been named by some media outlets, but also police have only identified them as a 50-year-old father and a 24-year-old son. Right, and this father, he reportedly first arrived in Australia back in 1998 on a student visa. He was in the country legally, he was also a licensed firearms holder with six guns, and he was fatally shot by police at the scene. And then as far as the son, he's an Australian-born citizen, and he suffered what were described as critical injuries and he's been hospitalized. And he with the police commissioner over New South Wales saying,

Starting point is 00:14:56 based on his medical condition, it is likely that that person may face criminal charges. And then according to Australia's Prime Minister, the son first came to the attention of the country's national security and intelligence service back in October of 2019. But when apparently he was examined on the basis of being associated with others. However, he then also had the Prime Minister claiming that there had been no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence. And then adding that there were no signs as of now that he and his father were acting as part of a wider terror group, saying there's no evidence of collusion, no evidence that these people were part of a cell. Now that said, at the same time, we are also seeing reports today that the men have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and flags of the group were reportedly found in their car. Though then also, notably, you have many trying to connect this attack to rising anti-Semitism associated with backlash to what

Starting point is 00:15:37 Israel did in Gaza. Where with, for example, opinion pieces on the Atlantic and New York Times popping up, rushing to bring up the idea of intifada, a concept most often associated with Palestinian uprising is against Israeli occupation. Right in the phrase, globalized that anti-Fada has been seen by many Jewish organizations as a call for violence and anti-Semitic terrorism, though many have disputed that. You also had Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu suggesting that Australia's recognition of the state of Palestine is what caused the attacked by pouring fuel on the anti-Semitic fire and claiming, your government did nothing to stop the spread of anti-Semitism in Australia. You took no action, you let the

Starting point is 00:16:08 disease spread, and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today. Though there, you had the Australian Prime Minister rejecting that notion, noting that most of the world recognizes a two-state solution as being the way forward in the Middle East. But also with that, you know, putting aside the question to blame, it has been widely accepted that Australia has especially seen a high rise in anti-Semitism. Or with, for example, a prominent Jewish advocacy group in the country recently reporting that more than 3,700 anti-Jewish incidents had taken place in the country during the two years after the October 7th attack in 2023. A rate that the group says is five times

Starting point is 00:16:36 what it was in the decade before the attack. Though there, you've had some contesting the number because what counts as an incident includes extreme acts of violence like Sunday shooting as well as an arson attack, an Australian synagogue last year, but also things like anti-Israel graffiti. And so with that, when Australia created a special envoy to combat anti-Semitism in 2024, you had some arguing that pro-Israel groups had successfully weaponized anti-Semitism by conflating that with criticism of Israel's war in Gaza. But then also, in addition to everything there, Sunday's attack has sparked a lot of conversation around another big issue, and that is gun control.

Starting point is 00:17:04 Because Australia, they already have strict gun laws, many of which were introduced after a gunman killed 35 people on the Australian island of Tasmania back in 1996. But now you've got the premier of New South Wales saying that he wants to introduce the toughest gun legislation in the country. And with that, you had the Australian Prime Minister announcing that his government will consider tightening the entire country's gun laws. And specifically with what's being considered, are gun owners maybe soon facing limits on the number of weapons they can own, and non-citizens, they might be restricted from owning firearms at all.

Starting point is 00:17:29 But that said, very likely on all fronts, we'll be getting more and more updates, more information. And of course, in the meantime, I'd love to know your thoughts, opinions, and reactions to everything we're seeing right now. But then also, unfortunately, Australia is not the only mass shooting that we have to talk about. Because this weekend, you also had a gunman bursting into a classroom at Brown University in Rhode Island, killing two people, injuring nine more, and all those victims being students. Right, not only that, at least as a recording, the shooter, he's still at large. Well, there's pretty little known at this point as far as how this went down. The shooting happened Saturday afternoon in a room where students were attending a final exam review session for an economics class,

Starting point is 00:18:02 and other students were actually in the same building taking their final exams or studying. Then after reports of an active shooter, an alert was sent by the university telling students and faculty members to lock their doors, silence their phones, and stay hidden. Some students actually ended up spending the night locked in classrooms, libraries, and dorms. Then as far as the security footage, it showed a male suspect going away from the scene of the shooting, wearing all black clothing. Though also, there was no weapon reportedly visible in the video, his faces covered, and officials say that a firearm wasn't found in a sweep of the building. Also, someone who had been considered a person of interest was detained yesterday,

Starting point is 00:18:30 but they've now been released. And law enforcement officials, I mean, they haven't named any other suspects so far or come up with any potential motives. Right in the mayor of Providence, where Brown's located so that officials had no way of knowing if the attacker was still in the city. And so with that, you had several private schools in the area canceled classes today, while public schools stayed open with an increased police presence and the University of Rhode Island canceled all in-person exams.

Starting point is 00:18:49 But unfortunately, for now, That's where we are. But that, my friend, is the end of today's show. And actually, the first episode of our final full week of 2025, which feels insane to say because it feels like it's gone so quick, but also like it's been 12 years. Of course, I'll see you right back here tomorrow to talk more news. But in the meantime, there's even more for you. You can check out and subscribe to my new podcast crashing out with myself and my buddy Alex

Starting point is 00:19:11 Perlman. It's like the opposite of the Philip DeFranco show, but in a good way. And or if you didn't catch it, I put out a special Friday Philip DeFranco's show. So definitely check that if you haven't already. Yeah, I love you, Ophases, and I'll see you right back here tomorrow. Thank you.

The Philip DeFranco Show - Trump’s Psychotic Rob Reiner Attack Exposes Way More Than MAGA Hypocrisy

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