Washington- Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security called the social media rhetoric “extraordinarily alarming” that followed the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month, warning of the risk of violent extremism it poses.
Mayorkas said in an interview broadcast on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that he was “armed” by the “heroism attributed to an alleged murderer of a father of two on the streets of New York,” as the murder of the insurance executive in midtown Manhattan on December 4 caused a scattered celebration on social media – and praise for the man accused of the fatal shooting.
“It speaks to what’s really bubbling up here in this country, and unfortunately we see that manifesting itself in the violence, the domestic violent extremism that exists,” Mayorkas said.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect, faces federal fees including murder. Investigators’ working theory of motive is animosity toward the health care industry. On social networks, support for the suspect materialized in citizens’ grievances regarding perceived inequalities in the insurance and health systems.
Mayorkas said the department sees a “wide range of narratives” that “push some individuals toward violence.”
“We’ve seen stories of hate. We’ve seen stories of anti-government sentiment. We’ve seen personal grievances expressed in language of violence, accompanying or as part of those stories,” Mayorkas said. “It’s something that we’re very concerned about: It’s a heightened threat environment.”
The Homeland Security secretary said the threat of domestic violent extremism “is one of the big threats we must counter.” And he noted that DHS has been concerned about social media rhetoric “for some time.”
Still, Mayorkas, whose term as head of the department comes to an end next month, said that while his confidence in the American people is “shaken” by incidents such as “the cold-blooded murder of a United Health Care executive,” he noted that “these are the actions of one individual, which do not reflect the American public or the democracy in which we live.”
“I have confidence in the American people,” Mayorkas added.
