‘Deranged and bloodthirsty’: The glorification of Luigi Mangione slammed

The Brad vs Everyone podcast host Brad Polumbo has blasted admirers of accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione as “deranged” and “strangely bloodthirsty”. It comes as the recent killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sparked a disturbing trend on social media, with many young people glorifying Mr Mangione. Mr Polumbo expressed his concern about the widespread sentiment online, where people are not only praising the 26-year-old but also turning him into a sex symbol. “It’s one thing to have criticisms of the US healthcare system, which is deeply, deeply flawed, or to even argue that insurance companies are like a big part of the problem or that the CEO is some evil guy,” Mr Polumbo told Sky News hosts Danica De Giorgio and James Macpherson. “But to support or to encourage extra to judicial killings of people in the streets, no trial, no due process, just because you hate their business or you hate their company to act like that is some sort of noble thing is actually scary.” Mr Polumbo warned that this kind of thinking could lead America down a dark path, where violence is normalised and encouraged.