1776Reporting
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s prominent host, has drawn a direct connection between Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and former President Donald Trump’s reported choices for his incoming administration. Maddow’s commentary has sparked wide debate due to the troubling overlap she pointed out.
Mangione, who is facing charges of first-degree murder, had previously expressed admiration for the infamous manifesto Industrial Society and Its Future by Ted Kaczynski, the domestic terrorist better known as the Unabomber. Kaczynski’s violent bombings killed three people and injured over 20 during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. On Goodreads, a platform for book enthusiasts, Mangione once wrote, “It’s easy to quickly and thoughtlessly write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it’s simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out.”
Rachel Maddow finds a way to make the Luigi Mangione arrest about Trump lol: "the fact that he's a professed Unabomber fan is unsettling. I might venture it's even more unsettling that Donald Trump's reported choice to run the ATF is also a self-professed fan of the Unabomber." pic.twitter.com/9IiqY22b9f
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) December 10, 2024
The discussion intensified when Maddow highlighted parallels between Mangione’s sentiments and those of venture capitalist Blake Masters. Masters, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Arizona in 2022, referred to Kaczynski as a “subversive thinker” during a podcast interview. According to reports, Masters is under consideration by Trump’s team for a leadership role at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This potential appointment has raised eyebrows and added another layer of controversy.
“If it is him [Mangione], the fact that he’s a professed Unabomber fan is unsettling,” Maddow said during her Tuesday show, which was later echoed on social media by journalist Ken Klippenstein. “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.”
Attempts by Newsweek to obtain comments from both Masters and Trump’s transition team about the potential ATF appointment yielded no immediate responses. Emails were sent to both parties, seeking clarification and remarks on Maddow’s statements.
Mangione was apprehended on Monday morning at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being recognized by a patron. Initially detained on charges of weapons possession and forgery, Manhattan lawyers quickly escalated the case, filing murder charges against him just hours later. The Associated Press reported that Mangione is still in custody in Pennsylvania and awaits extradition to New York.
During his arrest, authorities found a handwritten manifesto on Mangione, which ominously stated, “these parasites had it coming.” While only fragments of the document have been made public, the disturbing nature of the message has amplified concerns about his motivations.
Mangione’s family expressed their shock and grief over the developments in a statement, saying, “Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione. We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news.”
As the case unfolds, Maddow’s insights have ignited a broader conversation about political appointments, ideological overlaps, and the potential implications for public safety. This story underscores a troubling intersection of violent ideologies and positions of power that demand closer scrutiny.
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