A recent Emerson survey found that 41 percent of adults under 30 consider the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson acceptable, which is more than those in the same demographic find it unacceptable, at 40 percent.
The survey found that 68 percent of respondents overall found the actions of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione unacceptable.
- 24 percent of those aged 18-29 found it “somewhat acceptable.”
- 17 percent of that group found it “completely acceptable.”
- The breakdown by party affiliation showed that 22 percent of Democrats said they found the killing acceptable, compared to 16 percent of independents and 12 percent of Republicans.
The poll was conducted Dec. 11-13 among 1,000 registered voters, and the margin of error was 3 percentage points.
Activist and Documentarian Michael Moore, whose 2007 movie “Sicko” exposed the health care industry, has thoughts:
In a letter to his Substack column, Moore says that he was mentioned in Mangione’s manifesto as one of the most qualified to lay out the full argument against for-profit healthcare.
“It’s not often that my work gets a killer five-star review from an actual killer,” Moore writes. “The anger is 1000% justified. And I’m not going to tamp it down or ask people to shut up. I want to pour gasoline on that anger.”
“People across America are not celebrating the brutal murder of a father of two kids from Minnesota. They are screaming for help, they are telling you what’s wrong, they are saying that this system is not just and it is not right and it cannot continue,” he wrote, “They want retribution. They want justice. They want health care.”
“Throw this entire system in the trash,” Moore argued. “Dismantle this immoral business that profits off the lives of human beings and monetizes our deaths, that murders us or leaves us to die, destroy it all, and instead, in its place, give us all the same health care that every other civilized country on Earth has.”
Former Trump Surgeon General Jerome Adams has thoughts in a Politico interview:
Jerome Adams, who was Surgeon General during the first Trump administration, does not condone the killing. He says the turn to violence “signals a profound loss of confidence in structures that are meant to support and protect the public.” While companies like United Healthcare and Anthem are making billions in profit, Adams says insurers cannot ignore the moment.
- “Government has a critical role in regulating and in reforming the health care system to ensure it meets the needs of all Americans. Insurers have a responsibility to improve their practices, but it can’t be solely left up to them.”
Addressing the erosion of trust in the medical community during Covid, he says the results hurt everyone from policy makers, to doctors, and to patients.
- “In about a month, it’s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with H5N1 [bird flu]. It’s going to be on the Trump administration. It’s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with measles outbreaks across the country. It’s going to be on the Trump administration. You can’t un-ring that bell after you’ve helped sow mistrust in many ways, and then expect people to suddenly believe in what you’re saying when you’re in charge.”
- Adams says, “… the current iteration of the Republican Party and the presidency came in on a wave of populism, on a wave of anti-establishment sentiment that gives me some hope that they will push for change — including looking at the profits of insurance companies. How they’re utilizing their funds, and the ultimate end goal, how they are serving patients and providers. I think the jury is still out in terms of which end of the seesaw is going to end up, up — or down.”
And in a final point, “We have to recognize that the crisis we’re in, particularly as it relates to Brian Thompson and his killing, isn’t just about health care policies. It reflects broader societal issues. Populism and the anti-government sentiment that’s being stoked. Frustration and anger. And rising loneliness and isolation. Rising suicide rates. Rising depression. Rising anxiety. Mental health has long been neglected. The consequences can be dire.”
