During a recent appearance on MSNBC, Oscar-nominated director Rob Reiner issued a call to action against Donald Trump. He said it is “our job now” as influential voices to fight against the president’s insertion of the National Guard into major cities, as well as his attacks on free speech. He added that Trump’s efforts to “commandeer the election” through redistricting must be stopped before the 2026 midterms.
“It’s beyond McCarthy era-esque,” Reiner said. “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. But our job now, as communicators, is to start communicating to the rest of the country, to let them know what is going to happen to them.”
He added that “the two big things” an “autocrat” needs are “control of the media” and “military control of the streets.” For the first, Reiner cited ABC’s recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel after an alleged threat from the FCC. For the second, Reiner is most likely referring to Trump’s recent deployment of 300 California National Guard troops to Oregon. The Trump administration has already deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
“Make no mistake; we have a year before this country becomes a full-on autocracy, and democracy completely leaves us,” he added. “And we’re looking at the election in 2026, and Donald Trump knows that in a free and fair election, he will lose. He will lose the House, the House will flip and will become in Democratic hands. There will be committee chairs who will be able to hold meetings, and this is the last thing he wants.”
Watch the entire conversation below.
