An MSNBC segment has garnered considerable backlash for suggesting a link between the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect and a speculated appointee of Donald Trump’s. The segment has been met with disapproval from various political factions.
Rachel Maddow, a prominent figure on MSNBC, sparked a controversy during her weekly segment by attempting to establish a connection between Luigi Mangione, the alleged assailant in the recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and Blake Masters, a rumored pick of Trump’s for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director. Maddow based this connection on their mutual interest in the writings of the Unabomber.
During her broadcast, Maddow stated, “If it is him [Mangione], the fact that he’s a professed Unabomber fan is unsettling. I might mention that it’s even more unsettling that Donald Trump’s reported choice to run the ATF is also a self-professed fan of the Unabomber.”
In a 2022 interview, Masters expressed his interest in the Unabomber, referring to Theodore Kaczynski as a “subversive thinker” worth knowing about. “I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this,” Masters said then, “How about, like, Theodore Kaczynski?” Masters clarified that his interest lies in Kaczynski’s writings and views on technology, and he does not condone Kaczynski’s terror campaign of bombings, which led to the deaths of three individuals and injured many others.
Maddow’s remarks were met with immediate criticism from journalists and social media users from all political backgrounds. Accusations ranged from Maddow being “unhinged” to her attempting to tie unrelated events to Trump.
Ken Klippenstein, a left-wing journalist, was among the first to draw attention to Maddow’s segment, expressing disdain for her suggested link.
The 26-year-old suspect, Mangione, was captured at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after video footage showed him disembarking a Greyhound bus. Following the shooting on December 4, police believe Mangione may have spent time in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Thompson was shot three times at close range outside the New York Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan, where he was planning to host UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor meeting. Shell casings marked with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” were discovered at the scene by investigators.
Upon Mangione’s arrest, police found a 3D-printed pistol with a black silencer, loaded with six 9mm full-metal jacket rounds and an extra 9mm hollow-point round. His legal representative, Thomas Dickey, announced that Mangione will plead not guilty to both murder and weapons charges in Pennsylvania.
In Mangione’s possession, authorities found a three-page handwritten note demonstrating “ill will toward corporate America,” as stated by NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. The note included a message to federal investigators, claiming he acted alone.
David Kaczynski, brother of the Unabomber, expressed worry about his brother’s enduring influence, asserting that if the Unabomber’s ideology had influenced Mangione, it would be a “terrible mistake.”
It is suggested that Mangione’s actions were driven by resentments towards the healthcare industry, as evidenced by his social media account containing x-ray images of a complex procedure on his back.
Mangione has waived extradition to New York and will face murder charges there.
