Piers Morgan was shocked after cheerful former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz said she felt “joy” following the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
On Monday evening, Lorez joined Morgan Piers Morgan uncensored, as the network questioned her about her controversial social media posts after Thompson was shot in Manhattan on Wednesday.
Lorenz initially sparked outrage after she appeared to celebrate Thompson’s death, posting a series of controversial messages on Bluesky, which read: “Woke up to see this being spammed in my group chats,” Lorenz wrote alongside a celebratory image showing the text: ‘CEO DOWN .’
Morgan recalled that message with Lorenz and asked her, “Why would you be in such a celebratory mood about the execution of another human being?”
“Shouldn’t you be on the caring, sharing left, where, you know, you believe in the sanctity of life?”
Lorenz replied with a smile, “I really believe in the sanctity of life and I think that’s why I, like other Americans, felt joy, unfortunately.”
Morgan immediately interrupted her and said, “Joy?! Serious? Joy at the execution of a man?’
The former journalist changed her tone slightly and said, “Maybe not joy, but certainly not empathy.”
Piers Morgan called out ex-Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz for saying she felt ‘joy’ after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in Manhattan last week
Lorenz initially sparked outrage after she appeared to celebrate Thompson’s death and published a series of controversial posts
The British journalist kept asking her how his death could make her “happy.”
“This man is a husband, he is a father, and he was shot in the middle of Manhattan. Why does that make you happy?’
Lorenz then hit back, claiming that “tens of thousands of Americans were ‘murdered’ by Thompson,” whom she called “greedy.”
“That includes the tens of thousands of Americans, innocent Americans, who died because greedy health insurance executives like this one pursued policies that denied care to the most vulnerable people, and I’m part of the many millions of Americans who have watched people where I care about, suffer and in some cases die from lack of healthcare,” she added.
Morgan then went further and asked her if she thought all healthcare CEOs should be killed because of her reasoning.
“Should they all be killed, these healthcare executives? Would that make you even happier?’ he asked.
Lorenz laughed and then said, “Um, no,” as Morgan asked her, “Well, why not?”
‘Why are you laughing? Apparently you find it all hilarious. A guy was murdered in the street. I don’t find it funny at all.’
Thompson was killed early Wednesday morning outside the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan
Lorenz then suggested that Morgan may not be able to “understand” or “feel” this reaction because he “hasn’t had to deal with” the American healthcare system.
Morgan quickly snapped back, “I’ve dealt with the healthcare system in America in different ways, I don’t think it’s perfect by any means, but the idea that I would see it as something joyful that a man, a healthcare executive who just walked out on the street executed, I find completely bizarre.’
As Morgan tried to get rid of Lorenz, she shot back at him and said, “Don’t say I’m happy.”
“You said you felt happy,” Morgan replied.
‘Yes, I take that back. Joyful is the wrong word,” Lorenz said, adding that Thompson’s death “still feels like justice in this system.”
Morgan then asked guest Tomi Lahren to elaborate on the topic, with Lorenz chuckling as she spoke.
“Taylor, I don’t mean to be rude, but why the hell are you smiling all the time?” Morgan asked Lorenz.
‘I don’t understand. Sorry, apologies for my language, but honestly I find it unbelievable! What are you laughing about?’
Lorenz recently left mainstream media to become independent, meaning she is no longer subject to the social media rules enforced by traditional media outlets.
On Monday morning, a man held by police in Pennsylvania in connection with the shock killing was identified as Luigi Mangione.
Mangione, 26, is a graduate of the “anti-capitalist” Ivy League. He was taken into custody after a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh, thought they recognized him as the shooter.
On Monday morning, a man held by police in Pennsylvania in connection with the shock killing was identified as Luigi Mangione.
He reportedly had a 3D-printed ghost gun, similar to the one used in Wednesday morning’s murder, along with a silencer, a manifesto and four fake IDs when he was arrested by police.
Mangione has been arrested in Pennsylvania on gun charges. As of Monday evening, he was officially charged with murder in New York.
He was reported missing in San Francisco last month The San Francisco Standard.
Aaron Cranston, a former high school classmate of Mangione’s, told the New York Times that he and other peers were notified earlier this year that he was missing when his family tried to track him down.
Cranston said the message claimed that family members had not heard from Mangione for several months following back surgery.
After his arrest, Mangione’s family released a statement saying they were “shocked.”
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s cousin, Republican Maryland Rep. Nino Mangione, said in a social media post.
“We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and ask people to pray for everyone involved.”
Mangione has been arrested in Pennsylvania on gun charges. As of Monday evening, he was officially charged with murder in New York
The suspected shooter reportedly referred to UnitedHealthcare in the handwritten document found on him.
Luigi Mangione named the company worth $515.93 billion in his manifesto, noting the size of the company and how much money it makes, a senior law enforcement official who saw the document told the New York Times.
In the 262-word handwritten manifesto, Mangione said UnitedHealthcare’s market cap has grown, but U.S. life expectancy has not.
The document condemned companies that “continue to abuse our country for massive profits because the American public has let them get away with it.”
He reportedly wrote that he was acting alone and that he was self-financed.
“To spare you a lengthy investigation, I state clearly that I have not collaborated with anyone,” Mangione said.
‘These parasites had it coming. I apologize for any conflict or trauma, but it had to be done.”