‘How is this allowed?’: Outspoken champion of hate speech fears getting ‘killed’ after he is labeled suspect in United Healthcare CEO murder

Joey Mannarino, a man who spends his career defending hate speech and misinformation as a sacred part of free speech, is now crying foul after becoming the subject of, you guessed it, free speech.

All of this started with a satirical post on X. A parody account shared a photo of Joey Mannarino alongside the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. Obviously “joking,” the account shared a caption: “Possible match for the United Healthcare CEO assassin.”

It’s pretty evident that the “news” comes from a parody account and the Community Notes below clarify what little doubt was left, but until the latter happened, many took the post for real and things turned serious, to the point that Maanarino started getting death threats. It would be an understatement to say he was beyond spooked.

Ah, the irony of the free speech absolutist suddenly discovering the existence of consequences. This is the same Mannarino who has passionately argued that hate speech and misinformation are entitled to protection. According to his own logic, everything is subjective, bias is inevitable, and therefore, shutting down dangerous rhetoric is inherently wrong. Unless, apparently, that rhetoric happens to involve him.

Though he demands understanding and sympathy at this time, it’s evident that people active on the platform didn’t forget the garbage he spewed when he wasn’t at the receiving end of it. Ever since Mannarino started complaining about how “wrong” parody is, he has been swiftly reminded that this is exactly the free speech playground he promoted; others congratulated him on the successful implementation of his own ideals.

It’s free speech. It doesn’t have to be true. It has to resonate. pic.twitter.com/5baIPNxNkh

— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) December 7, 2024

This is what you wanted. pic.twitter.com/PfcWE6JeJA

— Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) December 7, 2024

His bigoted thought-train aside, Mannarino’s meltdown is justifiable at the moment. After all, some people really believed the parody news. But does he really deserve any genuine concern for how the deadly joke affected him? He is a cautionary tale about what happens when “free speech” is stripped of accountability. He has repeatedly cheered on Elon Musk’s dismantling of content moderation on X. But now that he’s the target of a satirical jab, suddenly the rules feel a little unfair.

But the outrage isn’t really about Mannarino (a man who nods along with Elon like a bobblehead on a bumpy road). It’s about the system he helped prop up: A world where “dangerous speech and misinformation” are allowed to roam free. Mannarino made his bed. Now, he’s finding out that sleeping in that bed isn’t so fun when you’re the one in the crosshairs.

So, will Mannarino reconsider his stance on hate speech and misinformation? We find that hard to believe. He’ll probably use this as fuel for his next tirade about the “unfairness” of mainstream media and how he was made a target. This is becoming a pattern for Trump supporters: Act unhinged on X, get punched by reality. When you open the floodgates for dangerous rhetoric, it doesn’t take long for the water to rise to your doorstep.