Team member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave a surprisingly cold response to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The New York Democrat argued that Americans “feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them,” while speaking to CBS News about the reaction — and sometimes praise — toward accused killer Luigi Mangione.
“I think this collective American experience, which is so twisted in the richest nation in the world, all of that pain that people have experienced comes together in this,” he told Jaala Brown on the steps of Congress.
‘And it’s really important that we take a step back.
“This is not to comment and this is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think that anyone who is confused, shocked or dismayed, must understand that people interpret, feel and experience denied statements as an act of violence against they.
‘People become homeless because of the financial devastation of a diagnosis that isn’t addressed or because of the amount they will have to cover with a surprise bill and things like that.
“When we talk about how the systems are violent in this country, in this passive way, our privatized healthcare system is like that for a lot of Americans,” Ocasio-Cortez continued, noting that she didn’t even have health insurance until she was elected to Congress. .
His comments came as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was forced to retract her comments about the shooting.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued that Americans “feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them” while speaking to CBS News about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Violence is never the answer, but you can only push people so far,” Warren said on MSNBC Tuesday night.
“This is a warning that if people are pressured enough, they will lose faith in their government’s ability to make change, they will lose faith in the ability of the people who provide health care to make change, and they will begin to take things into consideration.” into their own hands in ways that will ultimately be a threat to everyone.
Conservatives on social media took issue with Warren’s comments, and the Democrat issued a retreat on Wednesday.
‘Violence is never the answer. Period,” he said, according to HuffPost. “I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.”
Among those who complained about Warren’s wording was a top aide to Republican Sen. Mike Lee.
“This statement invents a non-existent connection between the insane killer and United Healthcare, which did not push this rich kid to do anything, not even accidentally,” Billy Gribbin, Lee’s communications director, said in X. ‘He went crazy and killed someone.’
National Magazine writer Charles C.W. Cooke dedicated an entire column to Warren’s editorial staff, pointing out that it’s always the “but” that gets you.
—In the vast English language there is a word for this type of argument. That word is “justification,” Cooke continued.
Thompson, 50, was shot to death outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4.
He was shot dead at point-blank range by a gunman who fired several shots, hitting the CEO in the chest and calf.
Thompson, 50, was shot to death at point-blank range outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4.
The gunman fired several shots during the ambush, jamming his gun in the process, but managed to quickly clear the obstruction and continue shooting, hitting the CEO in the chest and calf.
Bullet casings found at the scene were inscribed with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” an apparent reference to the health insurance industry’s systemic denial of claims.
Five days after the shooting, Mangione, 26, was located at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania and arrested on firearms charges. He was also later charged with second-degree murder in Thompson’s death.
Mangione was identified as the suspect after he was found at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
He was said to have a 3D printed pistol and a black silencer loaded with a Glock magazine consisting of six all-metal 9mm bullets that the NYPD said matched those of the bullets found at the scene of the murder of Thompson.
The suspect also reportedly had a manifesto outlining his complaints against UnitedHealthcare. after suffering a debilitating back injury that required painful spinal surgery.
—To save you a long investigation, I clearly state that I was not working with anyone. “This was pretty trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD (and) a lot of patience,” he supposedly wrote in the manifesto, according to the Daily Beast.
He went on to say he had “respect” for federal investigators and apologized for causing any “trauma,” but appeared to defend his alleged actions.
“Frankly, these parasites deserved it,” the manifesto said.
He claimed that the United States had the “most expensive healthcare system in the world,” but criticized the system for making the United States 42nd in life expectancy.
Police now say they have “no indication” to suggest Mangione was ever a client of the insurance company.
Chief Joseph Kelly, however, scored at NBC New York that the manifesto ‘does mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in the United States, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in the United States.
“So that’s possibly why he targeted the company,” Kelly suggested.
Mangione had a public outburst as he was being taken to court Tuesday.
Mangione appeared in court Tuesday to face firearms charges in Pennsylvania, where he had a ferocious public meltdown. hours before.
The suspect dressed in an orange jumpsuit had to be restrained while shouting at police as he made his way to court.
His lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has since claimed that Mangione was simply “uneasy” because he had no legal representation at the time.
Dickey has also said his client will plead not guilty to murder charges in New York and firearms charges in Pennsylvania, as he continues to fight extradition to the Big Apple.
Meanwhile, Mangione is due back in court on December 30, when a judge will consider multiple habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of the suspect and impose bail.