National Public Radio has crowned Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, a “folk hero” among certain parts of the public: “As Luigi Mangione's lawyers head to court, support grows for the accused 'vigilante'” read the headline to Monday’s online article by national desk correspondent Brian Mann.
The prominent photo caption set the tone: “A mural of Luigi Mangione, who is charged with killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2024 in New York, was painted in the Bethnal Green area of London, England. Prosecutors describe Mangione as a ruthless murderer, but the 28-year-old has also drawn support and praise around the world.”
Mann didn’t even bother offering up the possibility that Mangione didn’t murder CEO Brian Thompson -- in fact, it's the base of his leftist appeal among people who see health-care rationing by insurance companies to be worth killing over, yet support single-payer health-care that covers everyone by rationing treatments even more severely.
As Luigi Mangione's team of attorneys heads back to state court in Manhattan this week for a key pretrial hearing, public support for the 28-year-old continues to grow.
Some legal experts say Mangione's populist appeal, fueled in part by what many describe as his Instagram-ready good looks, could complicate state and federal trials.
….
Mangione is accused of stalking and murdering Brian Thompson, age 50, a health insurance executive and father of two, on a Manhattan street in 2024. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His crowd-sourced legal defense fund now tops $1.5 million, with more than 42,000 donors. According to a pro-Mangione website created by volunteers, he has also received nearly 7,000 personal letters from dozens of countries around the world.
Under the subhead "A CEO's killing, the rise of a folk hero," Mann laundered more murder-minded left-wing claims.
Schoenstein thinks many Mangione supporters are so outraged by U.S. healthcare that they view his alleged violence as a legitimate political statement.
....
Evan Clarkson, an assistant professor at Utah Valley University who has studied the phenomenon of Mangione's popular support, says he began his research after many of his students told him they felt "conflicted" about Mangione's alleged crimes.
"There are some students who believe he is absolutely a justified vigilante ... against this system, the American healthcare system, that they think is unjust."
Mangione apparently needs a fan club as well as lawyers, but Mann forwarded the pop-idol insanity around Mangione without judgement.
Clarkson and other experts think Mangione's political appeal is being further fueled by the fact that he's young and photogenic.
Images of Mangione shirtless have gone viral on social media platforms. His fans have written poetry and songs about him and flooded the prison where he's detained with photographs.
"He's hot -- and our [research] paper does talk about the role of his physical attractiveness," Clarkson said, noting that views expressed about Mangione's appearance are a "powerful predictor of people's attitudes about him."
Even the most warped statements of support were greeted as bolstering Mangione's heroic status -- none claimed his innocence.
The state trial is scheduled to begin in early September, with the federal trial delayed to next year. In a comment left online, while donating $5,000 to Mangione's legal fund, one supporter made it clear they see the upcoming trials as political persecution.
"I am disturbed by what the government is doing to you," the donor wrote. "For them, it was and always will be about protecting the 1%. Head up, Luigi. We are right here with you."
Will Mangione's alleged victim, Brian Thompson, ever get this treatment at NPR?
By portraying a murderer as heroic to some, NPR is following its own nihilist history, which includes celebrating retail theft.
