Losing Rob Reiner was a blow to the stomach that we’re still reeling from. The incredibly talented actor turned director gave us so many wonderful moments on film. It’s his former job as an actor, though, that is giving him one final chance to give us some laughs. More than that, it’s allowing him to take a final dig at Donald Trump from beyond the grave. To top it all off, he’s doing it as George Washington.
Rob Reiner Laughs Last
Prior to his untimely passing, Reiner had filmed a role for the Larry David series, Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In it, he plays Washington as he explains his desire to retire as president. He declares he will not be seeking a third term. This is something that would eventually get written into the Constitution after Franklin Delano Roosevelt‘s tenure in office. It’s also something that Trump and his tyrannical sycophants have wanted to test the limits of. Reiner is getting the last laugh.
His appearance in the episode has been kept hidden through some pretty intense means. The crew did not reveal anything about Reiner’s appearance throughout production. Then, after Rob Reiner’s death, they decided to keep it even more hush-hush. Director Jeff Schaffer noted that they had to replace the sketch in the pre-release screenings. “It just didn’t feel like the right way to show the world. We thought long and hard about where the sketch should air …and ultimately we decided that July 3 was the perfect time.”
Reiner vs. Trump
The sketch is a very thinly veiled attack on Trump. Larry David brings up various acts that a corrupt president might do. Things like trying to enrich himself from business deals while in office, killing American citizens, and distracting people from his friendship with a pedophile. Because Donald Trump was a friend of Jeffrey Epstein. That’s factual information that should probably be repeated over and over.
It’s bittersweet to see Rob Reiner on the screen following his death. At least he continues to leave a body of work that will live on well past his own years. If there’s any justice in the world, that legacy will continue much longer than any thoughts of Donald Trump.
