President-elect Donald Trump is weighing in on Luigi Mangione and his fans in the wake of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City 2 weeks ago.
At a press conference Monday morning, Trump was asked what he thinks about the case, and the reaction to it — including the adoration of many online for the suspected killer, Luigi Mangione, who was arrested in Pennsylvania last week.
Trump said … “I think it’s really terrible that some people seem to admire him, like him.”
As TMZ reported, there’s been a huge reaction online across the country in support of Mangione, and against Thompson and other CEOs of healthcare companies — prompting increased security for some executives. A wave of merchandise supporting Mangione was pulled from Etsy and other sites, and at least one online funding campaign was also taken down.
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“I was happy to see that it wasn’t specific to this gentleman that was killed, it’s just an overall sickness as opposed to a specific sickness,” Trump said Monday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. “Just a cold-blooded horrible killing — and how people can like this guy is — that’s a sickness, actually, that’s really very bad.”
Trump went on, “A thing like that, you can’t believe that some people — and maybe it’s fake news, I don’t know — it’s hard to believe that that can even be thought of.”
Filmmaker Michael Moore offered his thoughts on the case after it was revealed he was name-checked in a purported manifesto found in Mangione’s possession when he was arrested … allegedly detailing his anger at healthcare in the United States. Moore does not excuse the murder … but he says he understands the public reaction to the problems of the American healthcare system, writing “The anger is 1000% justified.”
Comedian Chris Rock addressed the case and its controversies on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, cracking a couple jokes about Mangione, then expressing support for the victim’s family … before dropping a zinger about the shooting.
This case continues to provoke a spectrum of reactions across the country. Mangione’s currently facing charges in Pennsylvania and New York, where he’s charged with second-degree murder.