December 16th 2024.
President-elect Donald Trump expressed his strong disapproval of the public admiration for the alleged shooter of United Healthcare's CEO, Luigi Mangione. He referred to the support for Mangione as a "sickness" and condemned the act of murder in the strongest terms. Trump made his stance clear during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago home, where he also discussed various other issues.
Trump was joined by Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank, as he delivered his remarks. He expressed disbelief at the admiration for Mangione, who has been described as good-looking and has allegedly attacked health insurance companies and corporate greed in his writings. Trump questioned the validity of this admiration, stating that it may just be "fake news."
New York prosecutors have charged Mangione with second-degree murder, three weapons-related counts, and possession of a forged document. He is currently in a Pennsylvania state prison, and a grand jury in New York is considering additional charges. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, six days after the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan.
The bullet shells found at the scene had the words "delay," "deny," and "depose," similar to the title of a book that criticizes insurance companies for not paying claims. In a notebook, Mangione allegedly wrote about his plans to target Thompson at the company's conference, stating, "You wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention. It's targeted, precise, and doesn't risk innocents."
While both Democrats and Republicans have condemned Thompson's murder, social media has been flooded with memes portraying Mangione as a martyr and attractive figure. Some progressive Democrats have pointed to the frustrations of Americans with health insurance companies denying claims. However, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cautioned against vigilantism and emphasized the need for a better healthcare system.
Meanwhile, Trump also addressed his meetings with pharmaceutical and tech executives, hinting at a possible change in his stance on banning TikTok. As his first press conference since winning the election, Trump touched upon a variety of topics, including the tumultuous events surrounding Mangione's alleged crime. By Friday, over $100,000 had been raised online for Mangione's legal defense, highlighting the divided opinions on the matter.
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