Following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, some far-left journalists and social media users were quick to offer celebratory, mocking or sneering reactions to his shocking death.
Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz was among these voices, having shared multiple posts appearing to at least understand the killing while suggesting other health insurance executives should be targeted.
"And people wonder why we want these executives dead," Lorenz wrote, referencing Thompson’s death in a Bluesky post with a report about Blue Cross Blue Shield no longer covering anesthesia for the full length of some surgeries.
She later wrote on her Substack that it was "natural" to wish a similar fate on insurance honchos if you or a loved one had suffered or died after being denied coverage.
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"People have very justified hatred toward insurance company CEOs because these executives are responsible for an unfathomable amount of death and suffering," she wrote on Thursday. "I think it’s good to call out this broken system and the people in power who enable it. Again, not so they can be murdered, but so that we can change the system and start holding people in power accountable for their actions."
In one post, left-wing journalist Ken Klippenstein quipped that he hoped Thompson's ambulance ride "was in network."
As outlets reported about Thompson's shooting on their corresponding social media channels, top comments — comments with the most likes — mocked the murder.
"Thoughts and deductibles to the family. Unfortunately my condolences are out-of-network," shared one user on CNN's Tik Tok, racking up nearly 32,000 "likes." The comment section on MSNBC's post included "thoughts. But prayers require prior authorization first" and "my prayers are denied for now," was posted in the thread of The New York Times's post.
Anthony Zenkus, a Colombia professor and the director of education for The Safe Center — a victims services agency that provides services for survivors of family violence — was among the posters on X mockingly eulogizing Thompson by stating that "we mourn the death of 68,000 Americans who needlessly die each year so that insurance company execs like Brian Thompson can become multimillionaires."
In opposition to the taunts, social media channels were also flooded with voices questioning whether it was in good form to react this way to murder, leading to questions about whether a culture of respect for life was a universal value.
Robby Soave, a Reason senior editor, asked on X, "Why are they like this," in reference to the celebratory nature of comments surrounding Thompson's death.
Left-wing journalist Aaron Rupar was critical of progressives who were using the killing to roast Thompson, stating "absolutely depraved to get your dunks in when the guy was just murdered in cold blood."
Additional commenters pointed out how they were "sickened" by certain comments and found it "despicable" to respond this way.
"I think this encapsulates the far left's worldview: If you run a company that isn't to their liking, you deserve to die," Fox News contributor and columnist Joe Concha shared with Fox News Digital.
As to why there may be a large uproar of polarized reactions online, crisis management expert Robbie Vorhaus shared his take with Fox News Digital — citing that it reveals "both the depth of frustration surrounding the healthcare system and a broader cultural erosion of respect for human life."
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Vorhaus expressed that the cause of negative public outcry may be due to a combination of thoughts on the current state of healthcare, along with the evaluation of professional legacy, and how this response may have consequences for progressive causes.
"The disproportionate anger, and in some cases' mockery, in response to this tragedy underscores the profound dissatisfaction many Americans feel with our healthcare system," Vorhaus said, sharing that "the systemic pain" doesn't justify violence.
"While it is appropriate to evaluate someone’s professional legacy critically, it is neither ethical nor constructive to do so in a way that dehumanizes or celebrates violence. Brian Thompson was a leader, a father, and a human being," shared Vorhaus, adding that his death was "unequivocally tragic."
Manhattan-based psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert said the ghoulish reactions belied progressive values.
"For progressive movements that often advocate for compassion, equality, and justice, such reactions are particularly contradictory and counterproductive, but again, not surprising," he told Fox News Digital. "I saw a similar phenomenon following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Many clients expressed disappointment over the shooter not succeeding in his mission. It brings front and center the question: why is it that the party that supposedly is all about acceptance seems to be rejecting of people who might think differently than them?"
Thompson's killer is still at large, and the motive is still unclear, but apparent messages left on bullet casings at the scene were meant to make a political statement about health insurance coverage denials.
Police sources told the New York Post that the words "deny," "depose" and "defend" were written on the live rounds and casings left behind by the assassin after the shooting. Each bullet and casing had just one word written on it.
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"Clearly intentionally left to make a statement," a New York Police Department detective said on Thursday. "This will help identify a motive and eventually the suspect."
Fox News' Christina Coulter and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.
