Donald Trump on UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: 'Cold-blooded, horrible killing'
(FOX 9) - President-elect Donald Trump made his first comments on the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Monday.
Trump on murder of Brian Thompson
Trump addressed the shooting during a news conference on Monday morning, a little over a month before his inauguration. The comments also came months after Trump himself was hurt in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
What they're saying: During Monday's news conference, Trump referred to the ambush killing of Thompson as "cold-blooded" when responding to a question from a reporter.
"I think it's terrible… I think it's really terrible that some people seem to admire him, like him. I was happy to see that it wasn't specific to this gentlemen that was killed; it's just an overall sickness as opposed to a specific sickness. That was a terrible thing, it was cold-blooded. Just a cold-blooded, horrible killing. And how people can like this guy -- that's a sickness actually, that's really very bad. Especially the way it was done, it was so bad – right in the back. A thing like that, you just can't believe some people – and maybe it's fake news – I don't know… it's hard to believe that can even be thought of. But, it seems that there's a certain appetite for [the gunman]. I don't get it.
Donald Trump reacts to the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson during a news conference on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.
Luigi Mangione in custody
Dig deeper: The ambush killing of Thompson has drawn a mixed reaction online, with a surprising number of people sympathizing with the gunman. The slaying has also opened a dialogue about America's flawed healthcare system.
The suspect in the shooting, Luigi Mangione, is being held in Pennsylvania on separate charges, as he fights extradition to New York to face murder charges. Mangione was arrested after being identified by a McDonald's employee in Altoona. Police say they found evidence linking him to the slaying, including a silence, a gun matching the one used in the shooting, and a manifesto.