Democratic strategist James Carville said Thursday that murdered activist Charlie Kirk is unworthy of being compared to the recently slain filmmaker Rob Reiner in terms of his influence.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want anybody to get shot… young kids, I hate that, but Charlie Kirk was not a pimple on Rob Reiner’s ass when it comes to influence, when it comes to impact, when it comes to anything else.
“I don’t want to say anything bad, but for God’s sake, don’t dare compare Charlie Kirk to Rob Reiner. That’s not fair,” Carville said.
While Reiner does not appear like Kirk to have been murdered for political reasons — Reiner’s long-troubled son has been charged with killing him and his wife — many commentators are comparing the reaction from public and private figures to the men and the backlash they received in turn.
Both Kirk and Reiner were outspoken activists for the right and left, respectively.
Carville’s co-host Al Hunt, in a clip flagged by Mediaite, recalled that Reiner himself responded with compassion to Kirk’s death.
James Carville speaks onstage during the 2019 Politicon at Music City Center on October 26, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Getty Images for Politicon
Both Kirk and Reiner were outspoken activists for the right and left, respectively. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection“That should never happen to anybody,” Reiner said at the time. “I don’t care what your political beliefs are, that’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems. And I felt like what his wife said at the service, at the memorial they had, was exactly right.”
“Rob was a friend of mine,” Carville said on his Thursday episode of “Politics War Room.” “It is hard. And I don’t say this because I like Rob’s politics or I like him as a person, or anything like that. It’s hard to come up with somebody who’s had more cultural impact on my life than Rob did. I mean, if you think of ‘All in the Family’ and [how] groundbreaking that was.
Here’s the latest on the death of Rob Reiner:
- Nick Reiner’s hotshot lawyer Alan Jackson likely quit double-slay case over price tag: experts
- Nick Reiner slated to appear in court for arraignment in case of parents’ gruesome murder
- Rob and Michele Reiner death reports pulled from Los Angeles Medical Examiner site at request of LAPD
- How cops tracked down Nick Reiner in frantic manhunt after parents’ Rob and Michele’s brutal murder
“You think of ‘A Few Good Men.’ You think of ‘The Princess Bride.’ My daughters have seen ‘The Princess Bride’ 500 times. Ted Cruz, I think, can recite the whole script.”
On Thursday’s podcast, Carville cited an incident where he said a teacher had reportedly been fired for sharing a video of some of Kirk’s controversial statements after his death.
This photo taken on December 22, 2024 shows US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk speaking on stage at America Fest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. AFP via Getty Images
James Carville attends The New York Times DealBook Summit 2025 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 03, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images for The New York TimesPresident Donald Trump has been sharply criticized for his Truth Social post about Reiner’s death, where he said the liberal Hollywood figure had Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Fox News Digital reached out to Turning Point USA and did not receive an immediate response.
