Fox News host Sean Hannity ripped apart liberal journalist Taylor Lorenz during a heated exchange Wednesday night over Lorenz’s controversial comments about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and his accused killer, Luigi Mangione.
Hannity repeatedly pressed Lorenz about her previous statements in which she allegedly expressed “joy” following Thompson’s death and her positive comments about Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of assassinating the 50-year-old healthcare executive in cold blood on a New York City street last December.
“Try to explain this to me. You feel joy, those are your words. You felt joy over the murder of this father?” Hannity asked, as Lorenz shook her head and back peddled.
“Never did I say that I felt joy in his death,” Lorenz responded. “I said very explicitly, if you play the full segment – and actually people can watch that segment on my YouTube in full, not the edited version – I said that I felt joy along with millions of other Americans that the brutality of our healthcare system was finally being acknowledged.”
Lorenz, a far-Left journalist who previously worked for The New York Times and The Washington Post, attempted to steer the conversation toward healthcare statistics, stating, “I believe that our current healthcare system is murderous. I mean, we have uninsured Americans with a 40% higher risk of death compared to insured.”
Hannity interrupted to refocus on Lorenz’s earlier comments about Mangione, which she made during a CNN appearance.
In that interview, Lorenz had discussed Mangione’s supporters, saying: “You’re gonna see women especially that feel like, ‘Oh my God, here’s this man who’s a revolutionary, who’s famous, who’s handsome, who’s young, who’s smart, he’s a person that seems like this morally good man,’ which is hard to find.”
Lorenz claimed she was merely “describing the mentality of these fan girls that show up at Luigi’s court and show up outside his jail cell,” rather than her own views.
Hannity was unconvinced, and ripped into Lorenz.
“Your comments basically put your seal of approval on murder and assassination, and I’m trying to understand, whether you like this guy or like the way he does business or not, you’re advocating and putting a smiley face on assassination,” he said.
“I’m trying to understand what is in your soul that doesn’t understand he’s a father and a husband here,” Hannity said. “What are you missing? There seems to be a missing chip with you.”
When Hannity pressed Lorenz to condemn Mangione’s supporters, asking if she would say that “anyone that’s praising this guy doesn’t have a soul, a conscience and a heart,” Lorenz was again evasive.
“I don’t believe in things like religious things like souls and all these things,” she said, before adding, “I believe that every one of the 70,000 Americans that die each year because of lack of health insurance also has a heart.”
Lorenz said health insurance represents “a violence in itself that is assassination.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for what she called the “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination” of Thompson. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges and faces both federal and state prosecution.
Mangione’s next federal court date is set for April 18, followed by a state hearing on June 26.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Hannity just WRECKED ex-WaPo reporter Taylor Lorenz for gushing over Luigi Mangione and REFUSING to condemn violence against Trump and Elon Musk
This was FIREY! 🔥
Lorenz says she is JOYFUL about the effects of the healthcare CEO’s assassination, even calling… pic.twitter.com/Xh0JgKD1ek
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 17, 2025