Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz ignited a firestorm with comments seemingly condoning the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Thompson was tragically gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel, a chilling incident captured on video. The suspect remains at large.

Hours after the news broke, Lorenz posted on Bluesky, "And people wonder why we want these executives dead," linking the sentiment to a report about Blue Cross Blue Shield altering anesthesia coverage policies. She further shared images of Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck and amplified calls for other health insurance executives to be targeted.

Facing immediate backlash, Lorenz defended her remarks to Fox News Digital and later on her Substack. In a post titled, "Why ‘we’ want insurance executives dead," she claimed her words reflected public anger, not a personal call for violence. She argued that frustration with the healthcare system fuels such sentiments, particularly for those who have witnessed loved ones denied life-saving treatments. However, her post also included a meme celebrating the CEO's death.

Lorenz further contended that while some online comments crossed the line into promoting violence, the media overlooked the "systemic cruelty" driving such extreme reactions. She continued to retweet posts comparing Thompson to a mass murderer, highlighting one that claimed Thompson "killed more US citizens than every serial killer combined." Lorenz left The Washington Post in October and now runs User Magazine on Substack. The controversial writer has a history of online disputes and recently drew attention for expressing anxiety about people not wearing masks.