After UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, some far-left journalists and social media users were quick to celebrate, ridicule, and sneer at his shocking death. showed a similar reaction.
Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz was among those voices, sharing multiple posts that at least appeared to understand the killing and suggested that other health insurance executives should also be targeted. suggested.
“And people are wondering why they want these executives dead,” Lorenz told Blue Sky about Blue Cross Blue Shield no longer covering anesthesia for the full duration of some surgeries. wrote the post, referring to Mr. Thompson's death.
She later wrote on her own Substack that if you or a loved one suffered or died after being denied coverage, it's “natural” to want a similar fate from your insurance company.
Taylor Lorenz's Blue Sky post about Thompson's murder. (Screenshot of Blue Sky)
Former WAPO reporter says “I want the death penalty for executives'' after killing insurance CEO
“It's no surprise that people have hatred for insurance company CEOs, because these executives are responsible for untold amounts of death and suffering.” she wrote on Thursday. “I think it's good to call out this broken system and the people in power that enable it. Again, it's not so that they get killed, it's that we change the system and those in power. This is to start asking people to take responsibility for their own actions.”
In one post, left-wing journalist Ken Klippenstein quipped that Thompson's ambulance ride “would have been on the network.”
As news organizations reported on Thompson's shooting on their respective social media channels, the top comment – the one with the most likes – mocked the murder.
“Thoughts and deductible for the family. Unfortunately, condolences are out of network,” one user shared. CNN's TikTokgathered about 32,000 likes. Comment section “Thoughts. But prayers require prior permission first,” and “So far my prayers have been denied,” the MSNBC thread read. New York Times Post.
Anthony Zenkas, a Columbia professor and director of education at the Safe Center, a victim services agency that provides services to survivors of domestic violence, is among those who posted We mourn the loss of 68,000 Americans,” he said, mockingly praising Thompson. Insurance executives like Brian Thompson die needlessly every year so they can become millionaires. ”
In response to the ridicule, social media channels have also been flooded with voices questioning whether it's okay to react this way to a murder, and questioning whether a culture of respect for life is a universal value. Connected.
Reason senior editor Robbie Soave asked X: “Why are they like this?”, referring to the celebratory nature of the comments surrounding Thompson's death.
Left-wing journalist Aaron Looper criticized progressives who were using the killing to vilify Thompson, saying, “To let him score a dunk when he was just murdered in cold blood is totally depraved.” said.
Additional commenters noted that they were “disgusted” by certain comments and felt it was “despicable” to respond in such a way.
“I think this sums up the far left's worldview: If you run a company they don't like, you're going to die,” Fox News contributor and columnist Joe Concha told Fox News Digital. spoke.
Why do polarized reactions on the internet cause such a fuss? Crisis management expert Robbie Vorhaus He shared his views on Fox News Digital, saying it reveals “both the depth of frustration surrounding the health care system and the broader cultural erosion of respect for human life.”
United Healthcare CEO How does a gunman's weapon work against him and in favor of police?
Vorhaus said the cause of the negative public outcry is an assessment of the current state of medicine and the profession's legacy, as well as ideas about how this response might impact progressive causes. He said it could be a combination.
“The disproportionate anger and, in some cases, ridicule over this tragedy underscores the deep dissatisfaction that many Americans feel with our nation's health care system,” Vorhaus said, adding that “the systemic They shared the recognition that “pain” does not justify violence.
United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group, via A)
“While it is appropriate to critically evaluate someone's professional accomplishments, it is neither ethical nor constructive to do so in a way that dehumanizes or glorifies violence. Brian Thompson is a leader. He was a man, a father, and a human being,” Vollhaus said, adding: His death was “unequivocally tragic.”
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Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist, said the brutal response betrayed progressive values.
“Such a reaction is especially contradictory and counterproductive for a progressive movement that often advocates for compassion, equality, and justice, but again, it's not surprising,” he told Fox News Digital. “I saw a similar phenomenon after the Donald Trump assassination attempt. Many clients expressed disappointment that the gunman was unable to accomplish his mission. This raises questions such as: It brought to the fore why a party that is supposed to be all about acceptance seems unjust.'' Does it reject people who think differently than it does? ”
Thompson's killer is still at large and his motive has not yet been determined, but the message left on the shell casing at the scene appears to be intended as a political statement about denying health insurance coverage.
Police officials told the New York Post The words “denial,” “exile,” and “defense” were written on the bullets and shell casings left behind by the assassins after the shooting. Each bullet and cartridge had just one word written on it.
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“It's clear he was intentionally left alone to give a statement,” an NYPD detective said Thursday. “This will help determine the motive; In the end the suspect. ”
Fox News' Christina Coulter and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.
