Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren has been condemned for apparently showing sympathy for the motives of the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare (UHC) insurance CEO Brian Thompson.
Thompson was shot in the back of the head outside a hotel in Manhattan on 4 December. 26-year-old Luigi Mangione has been charged with second-degree murder in relation to the killing.
A Possible Motive
It's believed the killing may have been motivated by anger at the US health insurance industry. Bullet casings with the words "deny", "defend" and "depose" were reportedly found near the site of the shooting, possibly a reference to the 2010 book "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why insurance companies don't pay claims and what you can do about it", by Jay Feinman.
Warren, who ran for president in 2020, told the Huffington Post, "The visceral response from people across the country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the healthcare system." She added, "Violence is never the answer, but people can only be pushed so far."
Warren "Encouraging Lynching"
Her comments were condemned by Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of the magazine of the same name. Speaking to Fox Business, Forbes said, "It's encouraging lynching... She should be prosecuted [for] inciting violence. She tried to walk it back a little bit later, but to say, 'Oh there's injustice done, let's go murder people', shows the moral rot of the left".
Warren has long positioned herself as an enemy of big business in the US and as a champion for workers rights and social security.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest private health insurer provider in America. Brian Thompson was the CEO of the group's insurance division. His death, far from generating sympathy, provoked a strong reaction from both left and right against the apparent injustices of the US health insurance industry.
Reform Not Just A Left Wing Issue
On Reddit, one thread was deleted after it was overwhelmed with comments either joking about the killing or expressing the view that Thompson will not be mourned because of the actions of his company.
The Daily Beast confirmed the identity of a doctor who posted on another Reddit thread "I cannot even guess how many person-years UHC has taken from patients and their families through denials.
The doctor continued, "It has to be on the order of millions. His death won't make that better, but it's hard for me to sympathize when so many people have suffered because of his company."
Left-wing outlet, The Young Turks, noted that reform of the US insurance industry is not a left-right issue, but a populist-establishment issue, pointing out that even fans of right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro believe the current system to be broken.
