The Associated Press reporter Josh Boak pressed White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Tuesday on whether Americans “are treated fairly” by the current healthcare system following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Thompson’s suspected murderer, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, wrote a three-paged note lamenting how UnitedHealthcare and other prominent corporations allegedly “abuse” the U.S. to gather up “immense profit,” according to a published copy of the note. Citing the handwritten document, Boak asked Jean-Pierre if the White House has a message for Americans who may “sympathize” with Mangione’s grievances about the current healthcare system.
“Given the killing of the UnitedHealthcare executive, what would you say to Americans who might sympathize with Luigi Mangione’s purported manifesto indicating that insurance companies ultimately care more about their profits than the health of their customers? Is that premise accurate in any way?” Boak asked.
“We are grateful to law enforcement for apprehending the suspect and we are ready to provide any further support if needed and so while we certainly are not going to comment further on the investigation, we condemn violence in the strongest term[s],” Jean-Pierre said.
While refusing to comment further on the case, the press secretary offered her condolences to Thompson and his family.
AP’s Josh Boak asked @PressSec today if Americans are “treated fairly” by the current healthcare system following the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson @DailyCallerpic.twitter.com/acNjgmNXq3
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) December 10, 2024
Boak cited the administration’s economic priorities, including price gouging, to ask whether it is committed to making sure insurance companies treat customers “fairly.”
“But, let me follow, this administration had made price gouging a priority, it’s talked about junk fees, the president just outlined part of this in his economic speech,” Boak said. “Are Americans treated fairly by their insurance companies?”
Jean-Pierre responded.
“Look, I want to be careful because this is indeed connected to this case, connected to this ongoing investigation,” the press secretary said. “I do want to be mindful in what I say from here, and I’m gonna let this open investigation continue and let the law enforcement do their job. I think it’s important to give them the space to let them do that and I don’t want to speak to what has been said by this particular individual. Obviously, we are going to continue to condemn any form of violence. That is unacceptable. So, that is as far as I can go from here given that this is an ongoing investigation and speaking to it would not be the right thing to do right now from this podium.”
Mangione reportedly said the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and is yet ranked #42 in life expectancy. He said UnitedHealthcare is the “largest company” in the nation “by market cap,” and credited himself with being the first to face the issue of corporate greed with “such brutal honesty.”
“Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy,” Mangione reportedly wrote. “United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but [h]as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has [allowed] them to get away with it.”
Intelligence officers with the New York Police Department (NYPD) believe Mangione’s anger toward the healthcare system motivated him to murder Thompson on Wednesday, according to CBS News. The suspect is wanted in New York for charges including second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.
Featured Image Credit: The White House
