The White House denounced political violence against greed after Luigi Mangione was denied bail following charges related to the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last week.
Mangione had a three-page handwritten note saying, “These parasites had it coming,” when he was detained by police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday. Shell casings recovered near Thompson’s body had the words “delay,” “deny,” and “defend” on them, words that describe some healthcare insurance policies regarding claims.
“Obviously, this is horrific,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday. “Violence to combat any sort of corporate greed is unacceptable. … I’m going to let the investigation move forward, and I’m not going to speak to any manifestos or anything that is coming out to this.”
When pressed on President Joe Biden‘s criticism of price gouging and junk fees, including what he said earlier on Tuesday during an economic address at the Brookings Institution, Jean-Pierre demurred.
“I don’t want to speak to what has been said by this particular individual,” she said. “Obviously, we are going to continue to condemn any form of violence. That is unacceptable. That is as far as I can go from here, given that this is an ongoing investigation and speaking to it would not be the right thing to do right now from this podium.”
UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE SUGGESTS EVIDENCE ‘PLANTED’ AFTER ARREST
Jean-Pierre did convey the White House’s condolences to Thompson’s family. He and his wife Paulette Reveiz have two sons.
Mangione’s alleged killing of Thompson has been welcomed by some critics of the healthcare insurance industry, including former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz, who told Piers Morgan Uncensored that she experienced “joy” at the news of Thompson’s death before correcting herself.
“I do believe in the sanctity of life, and I think that’s why I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy,” Lorenz said. “Maybe not joy, but certainly not, certainly not empathy.”
Others, such as Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), praised law enforcement for their work in locating Mangione, 26, a high school valedictorian and University of Pennsylvania computer science graduate who suffered from a back injury, in addition to the person who reported seeing him at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Mangione was found with a 3D-printed gun and multiple fake IDs.
“In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero,” Shapiro said on Monday. “Hear me on this: He is no hero. The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning. The real heroes every day in our society are the women and men who put on uniforms like these and go out in our communities to keep us safe. This killer is not a hero. He should not be hailed.”
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Mangione’s attorney, during a court appearance in Blair County, Pennsylvania, told Judge Dave Consiglio that Mangione was fighting his extradition to New York.
“It’s completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people,” Mangione shouted on his way into court. “It’s lived experience!”
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
