Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Wednesday sought to clarify earlier comments she made regarding the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson that generated an outpouring of hostility toward the health insurance industry.
“Violence is never the answer. Period,” Warren said in a statement provided to HuffPost. “I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.”
On Tuesday, Warren condemned Thompson’s killing but went on to criticize “vile” insurance company practices she said are making people feel “cheated, ripped off, and threatened,” a connection some on the right objected to.
“Violence is never the answer, but people can be pushed only so far,” Warren said in an interview with HuffPost. “This is a warning that if you push people hard enough, they lose faith in the ability of their government to make change, lose faith in the ability of the people who are providing the health care to make change, and start to take matters into their own hands in ways that will ultimately be a threat to everyone.”
Democracy In The Balance
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Thompson’s killing, allegedly at the hands of a 26-year-old man, has prompted an outpouring of glee from some who suggested the health insurance CEO, who is survived by two teenage children, got what he deserved. It also inspired people to share their own horror stories of having coverage denied, either for themselves, for family members or for their patients.
“The number of people I personally hear from, both in my official capacity and as somebody who stops and talks to people in the grocery store about how hard it is to get medical care that people have paid their insurance companies for over and over and over, is a reminder that this system is just broken,” Warren said.