41% of young Americans find UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killing 'acceptable': Survey

A recent poll has revealed that 41 per cent of young Americans believe that the actions of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, are “acceptable.” This poll was conducted by Emerson College, which discovered that 24 per cent of those surveyed thought the killing was somewhat acceptable, while 17 per cent hailed it completely justified.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate Mangione is charged of shooting UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Hilton hotel in Manhattan on December 4.

This incident has gathered a variety of reactions from people, especially on social media, with some even treating Mangione as a hero. There have been memes, jokes, and even calls for violence against other healthcare executives. Former Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz stirred up further controversy when she posted about the killing, saying, “And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” referencing frustration over insurance companies denying life-saving treatments.

Others, like Julia Alekseyeva, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, publicly supported Mangione, calling him an “icon” on social media, as per the New York Post. The backlash has been intense, with some defending the accused and even setting up legal funds to support him.

The anger has also been directed towards people who helped law enforcement track Mangione down, including a McDonald’s worker who tipped off police when he was spotted eating at one of their restaurants.

This killing has sparked a wider conversation about the healthcare system in the US, where many feel that insurance companies’ practices are harmful.

While the poll showed that 68 per cent of Americans do not approve of the killing, it’s clear that this tragic event has exposed a divide, especially among young people. AXIOS reported that men were slightly more likely to justify the actions of the killer than women, and the political split was stark: 22 per cent of Democrats thought the killing was acceptable, compared to just 12 per cent of Republicans.

Other recent data suggests that Americans are becoming more accepting of violence. A survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) last year found that a quarter of Americans agreed with the statement, "patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country." This was the highest level of support for the idea in nearly three years, marking a significant shift since the beginning of Donald Trump’s first term in office.