Radio talk show host and media personality Charlamagne tha God chimed in on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Friday’s episode of “The Breakfast Club,” in which he criticized those celebrating the incident.
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During the episode, the crew discussed the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who is suspected of fatally shooting Thompson in Manhattan. Charlamagne said, “All I see is a father walking New York City to go to his job, and he got gunned down.”
The host further explained that Thompson did not own UnitedHealthcare, and should not have been targeted for violence.
“He doesn’t own the company. That’s what I’m saying. He’s hired to do a job. I don’t understand why people are celebrating him being killed because like I said yesterday, he’s dead. His kids don’t got no father. That 26-year-old Luigi, or whatever his name is, he’s going to be in jail for the rest of his life.”
Charlamagne noted that Thompson’s killing won’t change any of the problems with America’s healthcare system.
“The healthcare system is still the same today. Nothing changes. The company is still denying claims and everything today. So what did that accomplish? Why are you happy about him being gunned down like that? It’s just weird where we are as a people now. It makes no sense. Then damn, right before the holidays.”
He added: “So what did that accomplish, and why are you happy about him being gunned down like that? It’s just weird where we are as a people.”
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Even before his identity was known to the public, Mangione received a disturbing outpouring of support – especially on social media. Users lionized him as a vigilante fighting against a corrupt healthcare system. In a TikTok video, an ER nurse said she “just can’t feel sympathy for [Brian Thompson] because of all those patients and their families.”
A Reddit user said, “It’s scary, but I’m not surprised something like this finally bubbled up. It’s akin to pitchforks and torches. The health system is a scam, and somebody finally snapped.”
Several left-leaning political figures, while giving a seemingly cursory criticism of the murder, seemed to somewhat justify Mangione’s alleged actions.
“This is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), further arguing that “People go homeless over the financial devastation of a diagnosis that doesn’t get addressed or the amount that they’re going to have to cover with a surprise bill and things like that.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said, “Violence is never the answer, but people can be pushed only so far.”
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She added: “This is a warning that if you push people hard enough, they lose faith in the ability of their government to make change…and start to take matters into their own hands in ways that will ultimately be a threat to everyone.”
The adoration for Mangione has even gone beyond social media users. Merchandise with the phrase “deny, delay, depose,” which were inscribed on bullet casings found at the crime scene, were being sold on sites like Etsy, Amazon, and others.
In the end, Charlamagne is right. Yes, America’s healthcare system is broken. But Mangione’s alleged actions will do nothing to fix it. In less than a week, the nation will mostly move on from this since he is now in custody and there will be other news to focus on. Healthcare will cease to be a prominent topic of discussion. Meanwhile, two young boys no longer have their father, and their mother is now a widow.
