James Woods, vocal Trump supporter, on remarks about Rob Reiner: “You don’t have to hate people”

James Woods, a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, has spoken publicly about his friendship with filmmaker Rob Reiner, criticising what he described as hostile remarks made about the director following his death.

Appearing on Fox News on Monday night, Woods became emotional while discussing Reiner, with whom he worked on Ghosts of Mississippi in 1996. Woods said the role came at a difficult moment in his career and credited Reiner with helping reverse his professional fortunes.

“Rob literally saved my career and really put me back on track in a way that was so important and rewarding in my life. He really fought for me when a studio didn’t want me in a movie,” Woods said. “I went from really being basically out of a job to getting an Academy Award nomination and I give all the credit to Rob.”

During the interview with Jesse Watters, Woods addressed questions he said he often received about maintaining a friendship with Reiner despite their opposing political views. Reiner was known as a liberal activist, while Woods has been outspoken in his support for Trump.

“I judge people by how they treat me, and Rob Reiner was a Godsend in my life,” Woods said. “When people would say to me, ‘What do you think of his politics?’ I would say, ‘I think Rob Reiner is a great patriot.’”

He added, “Because you disagree with people doesn’t mean that you have to hate people.”

Woods also referred to Reiner’s comments following the death of political activist Charlie Kirk, noting that Reiner condemned the killing regardless of political beliefs.

Woods said he found negative comments directed at Reiner after his death “infuriating and distasteful,” while acknowledging that he did not share Reiner’s political views. 

Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were found dead in their Brentwood home on Sunday. Following the deaths, Donald Trump commented on the director on his TruthSocial platform, claiming the deaths were “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.”

Speaking later at a press conference, Trump said, “I wasn’t a fan of his at all,” and that he believed the filmmaker was “very bad for our country.”