On the morning of December 4, Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare – the largest health insurance company – was killed in New York.
Mangione’s backpack contained a manifesto in which he criticised the aforementioned company as being overly powerful and “exploiting our country for massive profit”. The author concluded: “These parasites brought it upon themselves”.
This incident coincides with a wave of threats against key figures in the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. At the same time, several Democratic lawmakers have also become targets of such threats.
Americans currently find themselves in a state of profound division, where political beliefs act as both a catalyst and a battleground for an increasingly polarised society. These ideological differences permeate every aspect of public life, shaping debates over governance, cultural identity, and even the very definition of fundamental national values. Partisan allegiances dominate, with some viewing compromise as weakness and dialogue too often being replaced by confrontation.
A recent Gallup poll revealed a growing perception among Americans of the country’s fundamental divisions. This year, a record-high percentage – 80% of respondents – stated they felt the nation was divided over core principles, with these sentiments increasing over the past two decades. Only 18% of Americans believe the nation is united in its core values.
“A nation”, remarked Dalia Al-Aqidi, executive director of the American Center for Countering Extremism, “that perceives itself as divided risks undermining its ability to effectively address pressing issues. A lack of trust and shared purpose erodes the democratic process, making it harder to implement meaningful change and weakening the country’s position on the global stage”.
The Division of American Society
Some media outlets have urged their viewers and readers to boycott or distance themselves from family and friends who supported and voted for Trump. This approach not only exacerbates divisions within families but also reflects a broader trend of demonising dissent and hindering constructive engagement.
This division signifies not merely disagreements over politics but also deeper fractures in trust and mutual understanding between opposing camps. On December 2, Al-Aqidi emphasised that these dynamics could “tear the fabric of the nation apart”.
In these circumstances, the murderer of B. Thompson, noted The New York Times on December 10, even received applause from many Americans who share his anger over dealings with health insurance companies: people feel powerless in the face of healthcare coverage and income inequality. Numerous reports in the press highlight cases where insurance companies have refused to cover medical bills and prescriptions, all while reaping millions in profits. The late B. Thompson’s salary exceeded $10 million per year. One American news channel described Thompson’s killing as a shot fired by the poor at the rich.
The Murder of Thompson as a Symptom of Class Struggle
It should be noted that following this incident, many corporate executives began reaching out to security agencies to strengthen their personal protection. In letters to The Washington Post, one physician emphasised that inequality in healthcare is a serious national crisis, but that gun violence is not the solution. Gun violence remains another pressing issue in America, claiming more than 48,000 lives annually. On social media, citizens argue that health insurers bear responsibility for numerous deaths by denying coverage for life-saving treatments.
The American press itself acknowledges that boosting corporate executives’ security is not the solution to the issue, as the deeper problem lies in the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Statistics reveal that Elon Musk’s company spent $2.4 million on his security in 2023, with $500,000 already spent in just the first two months of this year.
Donald Trump’s new cabinet is not yet fully formed, but it already includes 10 billionaires (Elon Musk’s net worth has exceeded $400 billion, while Trump’s stands at $6.2 billion), along with several millionaires.
Notably, the Qatari channel Al Jazeera’s website on December 9 characterised Thompson’s murder as a symptom of class struggle. In this regard, it is logical to assume that the issue of the gap between the rich and the poor will become increasingly prominent in the foreseeable future.
Veniamin Popov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, PhD in History
