More than a quarter of likely voters, including more than 20% of Republicans, say the brazen slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street was an “understandable” reaction to the high cost of health care.
Rasmussen Reports on Wednesday released a poll that found 27% of likely voters, evenly divided among men and women, justified the gunning down of Mr. Thompson as he walked to an investor meeting in Midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4.
The poll follows statements from Democrats and liberal pundits who seemed to justify the shooting — among them Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who called Mr. Thompson’s slaying “a visceral response” to anger over health insurance and “a warning to everyone in the health care system.”
Among voters in the Rasmussen poll who said the shooting was understandable, 34% identified as Democrats and 21% as Republicans.
More young people justified the killing. The poll found 38% of voters aged 39 and under called the shooting understandable, compared with 27% of voters aged 40-64 and 11% of voters 65 and older who sympathized with the shooter.
The survey found 46% of voters who identified as liberal viewed the shooting as understandable, compared to 14% who said they were conservative.
A New York grand jury on Tuesday indicted 26-year-old Luigi Mangione on murder charges in the shooting.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called the shooting of Mr. Thompson, a married father of two, “a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder.”
Mr. Mangione was not a UnitedHealthcare customer but complained about the health insurance industry on social media.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the last name of Brian Thompson in one reference.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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