Three women who call themselves "Mangionistas" are facing intense scrutiny for their ghoulish comments about the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson and their calls for more political violence. The trio, Ashley Rojas, Lena Weissbrot, and Abril Rios, are supporters of Luigi Mangione, who is on trial for the 2024 murder of Thompson.
The women were granted press credentials by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's City Hall, according to the New York Post. They have used their access to spread inflammatory rhetoric, including explicit insults directed at Thompson and his family.
Disturbing Statements
In one instance, Rojas said, "F— Brian Thompson. F— his mom." Weissbrot added, "His children are better off without him. They need to learn to not be like their dad. And enjoy the blood money, kids." She compared Thompson unfavorably to Osama bin Laden, stating, "He’s responsible for more deaths than Osama bin Laden."
The alleged assassin, Mangione, has developed a fanbase that attends his hearings in flamboyant costumes, often displaying signs like "Free Luigi" and promoting hard-left ideologies. This particular trio runs social media pages that support Mangione, solicit donations for his legal defense, and advocate for violence against healthcare executives.
Outrage from Officials
The trio's actions have drawn sharp criticism from politicians and the public. Staten Island Republican David Carr, the City Council's minority leader, said, "This is America — people have the freedom to say or write whatever awful, bats— crazy things they want. But these deranged homicide-fan girls should never be allowed access to courtrooms or official press events with the imprimatur of the City of New York. They aren’t reporters — they’re ghouls."
Terrie Martin, a colleague of Thompson, expressed shock at the support. "I don’t know what they’re thinking. I don’t know what motivates them. I don’t know where their visceral anger comes from," she told Inside Edition.
Press Pass Controversy
New York City Hall recently relaxed press credentialing standards, requiring applicants to have six or more pieces of media covering breaking news events in the past five years. Rios boasted online about obtaining a pass, writing, "Just like you can get a press pass to push anti-socialist slop, I can also get one to use my voice to platform what I believe in." She added, "I’m not a reporter I work in social media which is also press thank you."
City Hall is now reviewing the process. Spokesperson Dora Pekec stated, "The Mamdani administration is reassessing the city’s process and standards for press credentialing."
Lawyers Distance from Supporters
Mangione's defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, condemned the trio's statements. "These individuals do not represent the views of Luigi, nor the tens of thousands who have shown their support from around the world. The only people who speak for Luigi are his attorneys. We condemn these vile and irresponsible statements that have no place in the discourse around these cases."
