‘Shallowness of the American people’: Alleged killer Luigi Mangione’s looks spark debate

A CNN host has told the US broadcaster to drop its on-screen graphics so it can show the abs of alleged murderer Luigi Mangione during a discussion on why social media has become so fascinated with the suspected UnitedHealthcare chief executive killer.

The brazen killing of Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street last week has sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed and unfairness in the medical insurance industry, and has even inspired folk-hero sentiment towards his alleged killer.

One of the photos of Luigi Mangione from his social media that has been widely shared across the internet.Credit: Facebook

Now, following the arrest and consequent charging of Mangione on Tuesday AEDT, pictures of the 26-year-old have circulated widely, taken from his social media accounts, showing a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties.

The feverish discussion moved from tweets and posts online on to CNN on Wednesday (AEDT) when host Kasie Hunt said the broadcaster should “drop the banner” to give viewers the full image of Mangione.

“The man accused of killing UnitedHealthCare’s CEO going viral. Images of Luigi Mangione seem to captivate the attention of online masses,” Hunt said.

“You know, we got to drop the banner to show why.”

The CNN banner covering part of Mangione’s topless photo then disappeared.

Kate Bedingfield, CNN political commentator and former adviser to Joe Biden, said it was “deeply troubling” people were celebrating Mangione and his alleged actions because “he clearly went to the gym”.

“The reaction online is also just such a reinforcement of how much aesthetics, attractiveness, I mean, like, the shallowness of the American people,” she said.

“The clips we were watching at the top of this segment are driven by the fact that this is an attractive person.”

An image released by Pennsylvania State Police shows Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona.Credit: AP

It is not just his appearance that has sparked debate. On Google, internet posters made derogatory reviews about the McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was caught. The reviews were removed by Google.

“This location has rats in the kitchen that will make you sick, and your insurance isn’t going to cover it,” one review said.

Amazon was also forced to remove listings for mugs, hats and jumpers emblazoned with the slogan “delay, deny, depose” – the three words Mangione alleged carved into the shell casings used in the killings that reference a book critical of the private health insurance industry.

Similar listings have appeared on other online marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy. On TikTok, merchants were selling Christmas jumpers with the message: “Tis the season: Deny. Defend. Depose.” On Etsy, Christmas tree ornaments with the phrase were on offer, The Washington Post reported.

Music-streaming app Spotify said it had been forced to remove playlists making light of the killing that were also illustrated with the face of the alleged shooter taken from CCTV stills. The playlists featured songs such as the James Bond theme Licence to Kill and Do You Hear the People Sing? from the soundtrack of Les Miserables.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said in “some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero”.

“Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s.”

with AP, Reuters