The arrest of Luigi Mangione, the man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in New York City, has sparked a flurry of backlash against the health insurance industry and even an embrace of the 26-year-old’s worldview in some corners online—a reaction roundly condemned Tuesday by right-wing pundits and influencers.
After the headline-grabbing execution, questionable portions of the internet immediately began thirsting over images of the alleged killer while denouncing the corporate greed showcased by UnitedHealthcare and its peers. After Mangione was arrested Monday, many of those same people began actively scouring through his digital footprint to build a profile of their hailed vigilante.
But high-profile MAGA personalities like Megyn Kelly, Laura Loomer and even South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace have all denounced the killer—and anyone who has embraced the apparent anti-corporate healthcare worldview espoused by Mangione.
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On Tuesday, conservative activist Laura Loomer led the charge when she criticized Mangione’s outburst when arriving to his extradition hearing, writing: “Suspect shooter Luigi Mangione was just caught on camera shouting ‘this is unjust and an insult to the intelligence of the American people’ as he was hauled inside his extradition hearing.
“What is ‘unjust?’ He has been charged with murdering someone he disagreed with,” she continued. “We all have people we don’t like. We can’t just go shoot them all.”
Upon his arrival to a Pennsylvania courthouse for an extradition hearing, Mangione appeared agitated as he was being escorted inside by police and yelled to reporters: “It’s extremely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience.”
Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly similarly slammed Mangione’s declaration on X writing, “His ‘lived experience’ is about to be punctuated by 3 squares a day and a fear of showering.”
Mace also took to X to voice her frustration over the fact that more information on Mangione has come to light than 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in July.
“A few days after the shooting and we have more information on CEO Brian Thompson’s shooter than President Trump’s,” Mace wrote. “The American people are owed answers, and we haven’t forgotten about this 🐮💩.”
The online MAGA-verse has also been critiquing what it points to as the left’s reaction to Mangione and the murder, with far-right political activist and former political correspondent for One America News Network Jack Posobiec writing on X: “There’s a reason the left supports murderers who shoot businessmen in the street.
“It’s a feature not a bug.”
After news on Mangione’s arrest came to light on Monday, Fox host Jesse Watters weighed in on the 26-year-old’s potential future in prison, claiming that he’s “not ready” and that he’s “gonna get annihilated.”
“I don’t think anyone’s ready [to go to prison],” Watters said on The Five. “This guy’s not ready. He’s way too soft. He’s gonna get annihilated on the inside, and good.”
“If he’s not gonna get the death penalty, maybe someone will do him justice behind bars,” he added. “That’s all I have to say about that.”
Mangione is being represented by private defense attorney Tom Dickey, who was retained Tuesday.
The suspect is fighting extradition to New York, with Dickey telling CNN: “We’re going to fight this along the rules and with the constitutional protections that my client has.”
