'This Is A Sickness': People Are Calling This Fox News Clip About Luigi Mangione 'Hypocritical' Because It Bashes Him While Praising Daniel Penny

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Last week, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York City by a masked assailant in an apparent targeted attack, and the incident has sparked a massive public conversation about the perceived greed of healthcare companies in America.

Altoona Police Department via Getty Images

This week, police apprehended 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as a suspect in the killing at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Mangione was found with a gun, fake IDs, and a handwritten document alluding to an "ill will towards corporate America," according to authorities. He has since been charged with second-degree murder.

he’s hot as shit you must acquit

— hunter harris (@hunteryharris) December 9, 2024 ">In light of many people's difficult experiences with the US healthcare industry, there has been a considerable amount of support for Mangione online. And, because it's the internet and Mangione is conventionally attractive...there has been a lot of public lust centered around him.

Fox News

Discussing this phenomenon on Fox News, conservative host Laura Ingraham slammed "nutbag people" supporting the shooter and calling Mangione "cute," referring to it as a "sickness."

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This seems to be standard fare from Fox News — but the clip is going mega-viral for another reason. Directly after Ingraham's words, she leads into the other top story of the night — the "not guilty" verdict of Daniel Penny.

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Former Marine Daniel Penny was on trial for the 2023 death of subway performer Jordan Neely, who died after Penny held him in a chokehold for almost six minutes on a New York subway. According to NBC, Neely had entered the train and thrown his jacket to the floor, then said he was hungry and thirsty and wanted to go back to jail. Some passengers reported being fearful, though Neely was unarmed, and other passengers said he didn't even approach anyone, though one passenger said he made "lunging movements." Penny claimed Neely had threatened to kill people and that he was attempting to "de-escalate" the situation and restrain Neely until police could arrive.

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The trial was a microcosm of arguments about race and police brutality in America, as Jordan Neely was Black and Penny is white. Yesterday's "not guilty" verdict prompted further discussion and anger at a system that criminalizes homelessness and mental health crises in the US but excuses murder and manslaughter when it comes from a white authority figure.

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Others, especially conservatives, celebrated the verdict — Ingraham returned from the break after talking about Mangione to announce, "Some very good news tonight; I can report that all hope is not lost in New York."

🎯 <-- Sense and awareness of irony
Laura fucking Ingraham --> 🧍♀️ https://t.co/xWtd5QXb9j

— fiendevious (@fiendevious) December 10, 2024 ">However, Ingraham's slamming support for Mangione while suggesting Penny was a hero in almost the same breath felt heavily ironic for many.

“It’s disgusting anyone would celebrate the psychopath who killed a CEO. Anyway, after the break we’ll be talking about the American hero who strangled a poor person with mental health issues and got off scot-free! :)”

— Josh Gill (@TheJoshGill) December 10, 2024 ">People "translated" what Ingraham appeared to be saying, calling out her framing for being hypocritical.

The juxtaposition of the subway killer being hailed as a hero while the CEO killer is being hailed as a terrorist says everything. Poor people’s lives don’t matter but rich people’s lives do?

— saminmedellin (@samholdren) December 10, 2024 ">Another user pointed out the difference between the two cases, stating that Neely was poor, Black, unhoused, and suffering from a mental health crisis, while Brian Thompson was rich and white.

So to clarify if someone kills a healthcare CEO overseeing decisions that are actively causing the suffering of millions and deaths of possibly thousands it’s bad but when a random dude decides to murder a homeless man on a subway train in broad daylight just because that’s ok?

— James Ray 🔻 (@GoodVibePolitik) December 9, 2024 ">Some people felt that the main difference between the two was that Thompson, as CEO of a healthcare company, was arguably partially responsible for the suffering of millions...

The difference between Daniel Penny and Luigi Mangione is that Daniel Penny killed an innocent person https://t.co/P6oqO6alDQ

— evan loves worf (@esjesjesj) December 10, 2024 ">...whereas Jordan Neely had yet to do harm.

I'd argue Daniel Penny is more of a danger to society than Luigi Mangione pic.twitter.com/dv8DbTNuTI

— John Ryan E (@RyanElward) December 9, 2024 ">One person even suggested that Penny, in their opinion, is far more likely to commit further violence than Mangione.

I would absolutely feel safer around Luigi Mangione than I would Kyle Rittenhouse or Daniel Penny

— evan loves worf (@esjesjesj) December 10, 2024 ">Others brought up the comparison to another acquitted killer — Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot three people (two of whom died) in "self-defense" during civil unrest in Kenosha in 2020 and was later found "not guilty" of homicide.

It’s funny how people are calling this Luigi guy a hero, but Daniel Penny a criminal. One killed someone in cold blood, the other was protecting people on the subway. This generation is so screwed up

— Ant Capelli (@Ant_Capelli09) December 10, 2024 ">However, there were many who agreed with the assessment of Penny as a "hero."

Extreme unpopular opinion

Luigi Mangione and Daniel Penny are heroes pic.twitter.com/lP64TGAF4K

— modern flapper 🇺🇸💞 (@modern_flapper) December 9, 2024 ">Still others called both "heroes."

Mangione's trial is sure to prompt further discussion on these issues.