Photographer Michele Singer Reiner, who was found dead along with her husband Rob Reiner inside the couple’s Los Angeles home Sunday, took the photo featured on the cover of the 1987 “Art of the Deal” book President Donald Trump co-wrote with Tony Schwartz.
In a 2017 episode of Politico’s “Off Message” podcast, Rob Reiner recounted his wife’s work on the shoot with Trump while responding to a question about whether the president is a good performer.
“I mean, he has a persona, and he has charisma,” the director said of Trump before proceeding to share a story about him.
“My wife, Michele, who is a professional photographer, she took the photo that’s on the cover of the book ‘The Art of the Deal,’” Reiner told Politico. “And at one point, they were up on this high-rise that he was constructing, and they were going to take the pictures overlooking Central Park. And the wind was blowing, and he said, I got to get this hairspray, you know, I need this special hairspray.”
“He was always larger than life, and he was always attractive in that, you know, charismatic celebrity way,” Reiner added.
Reiner suggested that Trump’s charm contributed to his political success.
“I think that it matters,” he said. “All that stuff matters.”
Interviewer Isaac Dovere then jokingly asked Reiner if his wife knew what was in the hairspray Trump was desperate to use during the photo shoot.
“Well, I think it’s still there, whatever it is. I don’t think he ever washes it until it stays there. It’s stuck in place,” Reiner responded.
Reiner conceded that Trump can be effective as “a politician who has to perform in front of a certain type of audience.”
“He’s not for every audience,” he added.
Trump on Monday posted an incendiary message on his Truth Social platform reacting to the death of Reiner, a liberal activist and lifelong Democrat, baselessly claiming the director “passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Reiner had criticized Trump multiple times, calling him “mentally unfit” to serve in the White House.
The president’s post garnered criticism even from members of his own party.
