Washington — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the social media rhetoric “extraordinarily alarming” that followed the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month, warning of the risk of violent extremism it poses.
Mayorkas said in an interview that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that he’s “alarmed” by the “heroism that is being attributed to an alleged murderer of a father of two children on the streets in New York City,” as the the insurance executive’s killing in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4 has prompted scattered celebration on social media — and lionizing of the man charged in the deadly shooting.
“It speaks of what is really bubbling here in this country, and unfortunately we see that manifested in violence, the domestic violent extremism that exists,” Mayorkas said.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect, faces federal charges including murder. Investigators’ working theory of the motive is animosity toward the health care industry. On social media, support for the suspect has materialized surrounding grievances toward perceived inequalities in the insurance and health care systems.