‘Frankly these parasites simply had it coming’: Luigi Mangione’s manifesto concisely explains why he felt he had to execute Brian Thompson

Unhinged maniac or modern-day Robin Hood? The United States is currently split right down the middle after the arrest of Luigi Mangione, who brazenly gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan and was finally arrested on Monday Dec. 10 after an extensive manhunt.

Mangione leaving bullet casings reading “Deny,” “Depose,” “Defend” at the scene, coupled with Thompson’s powerful position at the top of the healthcare insurance industry strongly indicated this assassination was supposed to send a powerful political message. Now the manifesto Mangione had in his possession has made its way online and outlines in stark terms why he felt compelled to carry out his deadly plan.

Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein published the manifesto online, so here are Mangione’s words in full:

“To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone. This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, a lot of patience. The spiral notebook, if present, has some straggling notes and To Do lists that illuminate the gist of it. My tech is pretty locked down because I work in engineering so probably not much info there. I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy. United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allwed them to get away with it. Obviously the problem is more complex, but I do not have space, and frankly I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument. But many have illuminated the corruption and greed (e.g.: Rosenthal, Moore), decades ago and the problems simply remain. It is not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play. Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty.”

First up, for once it’s quite nice to get a concise manifesto. Most manifestos are interminable multi-page PDFs full of rambling text, links to unhinged articles, and embarrassing shout-outs to pop culture figures. Whatever else Mangione is guilty of, at least he’s to the point.

The text itself largely confirms what everyone suspected immediately after the murder. Thompson was killed in protest of the U.S.’s diabolically awful healthcare system, which prioritizes profits over human dignity, suffering, and life. In an unexpected bit of modesty for a political assassin, Mangione even admits he doesn’t “pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument” and gives us two people who can. I’m sure Health Care For All activist Amy Rosenthal and documentary filmmaker Michael Moore are just thrilled at the namedrop.

The real question, one that’s going to be discussed up and down the nation for months and play a role in the eventual trial, is whether it’s even slightly morally justified to execute Thompson in the name of vigilante justice. For his part Mangione doesn’t appear to have any doubts, saying “these parasites simply had it coming.”

Perhaps worryingly (for CEOs anyway), this sentiment has resonated across the entire political spectrum. Conservative commentators who’ve tried to make hay by condemning Mangione have been met with a tidal wave of unhappy responses from their right-wing fans supporting Mangione’s actions. It’s also incredibly hypocritical for MAGA minions to condemn a killer when Kyle Rittenhouse is doing the conservative convention circuit to wild applause.

At some point in 2025, a jury will decide Mangione’s fate. The prosecution will want to weed out any prospective jurors who’ve had negative experiences dealing with healthcare insurance. Whether that’s even possible is another matter entirely, so come time for a verdict we wouldn’t count out the possibility of a shock acquittal, despite the mountains of evidence. If he walks free, expect fireworks.