Ex-Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz told an outraged Piers Morgan during his show on Monday that she felt “joy” when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in New York City.
“I do believe in the sanctity of life and I think that’s why I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy, unfortunately,” Lorenz told Morgan, who was taken aback by her answer. “Maybe not joy but certainly not empathy.”
Thompson was shot and killed outside the Midtown Hilton Hotel on Wednesday. Authorities arrested a suspect on Monday at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonalds.
“How could this make you joyful?” Morgan asked. “This guy is a husband, he’s a father, and he’s been gunned down in the middle of Manhattan. Why does that make you joyful?”
“So are the tens of thousands of Americans that he murdered!” Lorenz said. “So are the tens of thousands of Americans, innocent Americans, who died because greedy health insurance executives like this one push a policy of denying care to the most vulnerable people, and I am a part of the many millions of Americans that have watched people that I care about suffer and in some cases die because of lack of healthcare.”
Morgan asked if every healthcare executive deserved to be killed and Lorenz responded with, “no.” After Thompson’s death, Lorenz posted on social media, “And people wonder why we want these executives dead.”
“Well, why not? Why are you laughing? You seem to find the whole thing hilarious. A bloke’s been murdered in the street. I don’t find it funny at all,” Morgan said.
Lorenz emphasized that she took back what she said about feeling joy over the murder, and said it was the wrong word.
“It feels like justice in this system when somebody responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans suffers the same fate as tens of thousands of Americans,” Lorenz added.
Tomi Lahren was also on the panel and said Lorenz went too far in saying she didn’t feel empathy for Thompson. Lorenz laughed at Lahren’s response.
“Taylor, I don’t mean to be rude, but why the f— are you laughing all the time?” Morgan said. “I don’t get it. Sorry, apologies for my language, but honestly I find it unbelievable! What are you laughing at?”
