Taylor Lorenz Doubles Down on Comments Appearing to Celebrate Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO
Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz has doubled down on her comments appearing to celebrate the reportedly targeted murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Lorenz wrote on the social media site Bluesky, “And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” alongside a report about Blue Cross Blue Shield no longer covering anesthesia for the full length of some surgeries.
Lorenz went on to share images of Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck and reposted calls for other health insurance executives to be targeted. The comments were met with widespread backlash, with many criticizing Lorenz for appearing to justify violence against the CEO.
In a subsequent post on her Substack, Lorenz defended herself, saying that her comments were meant to explain the public sentiment, not to call for the murder of more top executives. She claimed that the public is fed up with the healthcare system and the people at the top who rake in millions while inflicting pain, suffering, and death on millions of innocent people.
Lorenz also shared a meme featuring a celebratory image of a smiling star and balloons with the text, “CEO DOWN.” She argued that people have a justified hatred towards insurance company CEOs because they are responsible for an unfathomable amount of death and suffering.
The post also featured a comparison between Thompson and a mass murderer, claiming that Thompson had killed more US citizens than every serial killer combined. Lorenz continued to retweet social media posts making similar comparisons throughout the day.
Lorenz has faced criticism in the past for her extreme views on COVID-19 and has been embroiled in several online controversies. She left The Washington Post in October and launched her own Substack, User Magazine.