President-elect Trump weighed in on the shocking murder of a health insurance executive Monday, condemning online support for the killer as a "sickness."
Trump called the ambush of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson "cold-blooded" and "horrible" during a news briefing. It came a week after 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
"I think it’s really terrible that some people seem to admire him – like him," Trump said. "It was cold-blooded, just a cold-blooded, horrible killing."
Mangione, a wealthy computer programmer with an Ivy League background, allegedly stalked Thompson to a Manhattan hotel. Police say he shot him in the back with a suppressed, 3D-printed handgun.
Surveillance photos from a New York City hostel showed Mangione grinning and reportedly flirting with a young woman at the check-in counter. The image went viral as the search for him intensified.
Shockingly, some online commenters praised the crime, using it to criticize the health insurance industry. "How people can like this guy, that’s a sickness actually," Trump said.
Surveillance footage captured the attack outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel, where Thompson was arriving for a UnitedHealthcare conference. A masked man walked up behind him, fired, and fled. A horrified woman nearby ran in the opposite direction.
Trump seemed baffled. "Maybe it's fake news. I don't know; it's hard to believe that that can even be thought of, but, it seems that there's a certain appetite for him," he said.
Online reactions spiraled further. Memes of Mangione circulated widely. Some praised him, while fundraising efforts for his legal defense were shut down.
Those who helped identify Mangione faced backlash, including workers at the Altoona McDonald’s where he was spotted. Death threats poured in for the restaurant, its employees, and local police.
Meanwhile, large health care companies reacted quickly. They removed photos and biographies of corporate leaders from their websites, fearing copycat attacks.
Mangione now faces charges in both New York and Pennsylvania, including second-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a fake ID.
His lawyer told a Pennsylvania judge last week they plan to fight extradition to New York.