Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz ignited a firestorm of controversy during an appearance on Piers Morgan's show. Her reaction to the news of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's death in a New York City shooting drew sharp criticism and disbelief. Lorenz initially expressed a sense of "joy," later retracting the word choice but maintaining a lack of empathy for the deceased executive.

Lorenz attributed her reaction to the suffering and deaths she believes are caused by the policies of health insurance executives like Thompson, claiming they deny care to vulnerable individuals. She linked Thompson to the deaths of "tens of thousands of Americans" due to these alleged practices. Morgan repeatedly questioned Lorenz's stance, emphasizing Thompson's roles as a husband and father and expressing his own incomprehension of her response. He challenged her justification, asking if every healthcare executive deserved to be killed, to which Lorenz replied "no."

Taylor Lorenz attends the "This Is Not Financial Advice" premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Lorenz's comments extended to social media, where she posted after Thompson's death, "And people wonder why we want these executives dead." This post further fueled the controversy and amplified criticism of her remarks.

During the heated exchange with Morgan, fellow panelist Tomi Lahren also criticized Lorenz's lack of empathy. Lorenz's laughter at Lahren's response prompted further rebuke from Morgan, who questioned her seemingly flippant attitude towards the situation. Lorenz defended her laughter, attributing it to what she perceived as Lahren's misrepresentation of public anger towards the healthcare system. She reiterated her belief that the for-profit healthcare system is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, while acknowledging that shooting people in the street is not the answer.

Piers Morgan seen returning to his West London home. (Photo by MWE/GC Images) (Getty Images)

Piers Morgan unloaded on Taylor Lorenz for her comments on UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder. (Screenshot/PiersMorganUncensored)

Following the initial expression of "joy," Lorenz clarified that it was the wrong word choice. However, she maintained her stance that Thompson's death felt like "justice" given his alleged responsibility for the deaths of thousands of Americans. She also suggested on social media that other healthcare executives should be targeted.