Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sparked controversy Thursday with her comments about the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, saying those shocked by the public's lack of sympathy for the slain CEO are simply saying that America's health care system is in disarray. He suggested that he just didn't understand people's complaints.
“I'm not saying that acts of violence are justified, but a person who is confused, shocked, or appalled may interpret, feel, or experience a denied allegation as an act of violence against them. I think you need to understand that.” the New York state congressman told CBS News' Jara Brown. Thursday.
Ocasio-Cortez argued that systemic inequality is the real problem. “Health care in this country has fallen into such a state of depravity that people are living with things that they should never have to live with. I'm not saying this, and I'm not participating in the glorification of it, but… “We need to understand that the extreme levels of inequality in the United States create high levels of social instability,” she said.
AOC's comments come as people making excuses for the cold-blooded murder, enthusiasts of alleged killer Luigi Mangione, and posters plastered all over the Big Apple tell other CEOs that he's next on their hit list. It prompted a massive backlash from people fed up with posters warning.
“No AOC, violence cannot be justified.” a user wrote on X.
“Violence is never the answer, stop it completely. Rationalizing such behavior only deepens divisions and undermines real solutions. Focus on reforming the system, not condoning the tragedy. Leadership should aim to heal, not fan the flames of despair.” another user and X criticized AOC's wording.
What we know about the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
- Brian Thompson, CEO of insurance giant UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a luxury midtown hotel on Wednesday, police said.
- Mr. Thompson was appointed CEO of UnitedHealth in April 2021. He joined the company in 2004. He was one of several senior executives at the company under investigation by the Justice Department.
- Thompson's wife, Paulette, said she had received threats before her husband was killed.
- The Thompson shooting sparked an online frenzy and even sparked a tasteless lookalike contest in New York.
- A dignitary was arrested by police inside a McDonald's store in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
- The suspect has been identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, of Towson, Maryland. He was an Ivy League graduate who hated the medical world.
Follow the Post's live updates on news about Brian Thompson's murder.
The Lefty representative's comments come as Luigi imitators, including one of the Florida mothers who was arrested Tuesday for allegedly threatening Blue Cross Blue Shield in a phone call regarding the denial of a recent medical insurance claim, are working in the woodwork. I came out while passing through.
Mr. Thompson's murder, which received national attention until Mr. Mangione's arrest, sparked fanfare and outright obsession with the former Ivy Leaguer from a wealthy Maryland family.
Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Thompson, 50, as he walked to the Sixth Avenue Hilton Hotel on December 4, where UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, was holding its annual investor conference. has been indicted for.
The University of Pennsylvania graduate led police on a five-day manhunt that ended with him being taken into custody after an employee at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania noticed him and called police.
He was found to be in possession of a manifesto-like document that referenced United Healthcare and accused the health insurance company of corporate greed.
