Michael Moore vows to ‘pour gasoline’ on public anger after Mangione’s murder of CEO: ‘Not often my work gets a killer’s 5-star rating’ – Times of India

Michael Moore vows to “pour gasoline” on public anger against insurance companies after UnitedHealthcare CEO killing

Award-winning director Michael Moore, renowned for his critical documentaries on the American healthcare system, has reacted to the shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by accused killer Luigi Mangione. The killing, which occurred outside a Manhattan hotel, has ignited a wave of public outrage, and Mangione allegedly referenced Moore’s 2007 film SICKO in a manifesto praising the director’s exposure of the US healthcare system.
In a post on his Substack Friday, Moore responded to Mangione’s alleged remarks, quipping, “It’s not often that my work gets a killer five-star review from an actual killer.”
The director, who has been vocal about the flaws of the healthcare industry for years, acknowledged the wide-reaching impact of SICKO, stating that millions, including Mangione, have seen the film.
Moore then delved into a more serious discussion in the post titled “A Manifesto Against For-Profit Health Insurance Companies,” where he condemned the murder while simultaneously lambasting the health insurance industry that he believes is responsible for widespread suffering in America. “Yes, I condemn murder,” Moore wrote, “and that’s why I condemn America’s broken, vile, rapacious, bloodthirsty, unethical, immoral health care industry and I condemn every one of the CEOs who are in charge of it.”

The filmmaker further remarked on the rising public anger toward insurance companies, which he described as “completely justified.” Moore made it clear that he would not shy away from stoking that anger. “It is not new. It has been boiling. And I’m not going to tamp it down or ask people to shut up. I want to pour gasoline on that anger,” he added.
Mangione, who was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is accused of killing Thompson after allegedly harboring deep frustrations with the insurance giant. The killing took place as Thompson was walking to a conference in Manhattan. Authorities found Mangione in possession of several fake IDs, a US passport, and writings about the insurance industry, including the manifesto that praised Moore’s critical work on healthcare.
In the manifesto, Mangione wrote, “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.”
Moore, known for other impactful documentaries like Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, called out insurance executives in his post, accusing them of causing harm comparable to the terrorists behind 9/11. “These insurance corporations and their executives have more blood on their hands than a thousand 9/11 terrorists,” Moore declared. “And that’s why they are scrubbing their executives’ profiles from their websites and putting up fences around their headquarters. Because they know what they have done.”