UnitedHealth Worker Fired Over Trump Shooting Remarks

By Joe EdwardsLive News ReporterShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Newsweek has learned that the person who made comments online about Saturday night’s apparent assassination attempt against President Donald Trump is no longer employed by UnitedHealthcare as a result of a viral clip that prompted backlash on social media.The clip, which has circulated widely on X, appears to show a woman reacting to news of the incident, which occurred on Saturday night. In the video, she says her initial reaction was to assume the incident was “probably fake,” before adding that her second thought was, “aww, they missed,” followed by a remark that such reactions signaled the country was “cooked.”The video was amplified by several high‑profile accounts and quickly drew backlash from users who condemned the comments. As the clip spread, users alleged the woman was a UnitedHealthcare employee, prompting calls on social media for the company to respond and for the worker to be removed from her role....The ContextThe backlash unfolds against a broader backdrop of heightened polarization and anger toward perceived elites that has repeatedly surfaced after high‑profile acts of political violence.Following the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, some online users openly celebrated the attack, with the accused gunman, Luigi Mangione, being elevated to the status of a folk hero in corners of social media that framed the shooting as an attack on corporate power rather than a crime.Reactions to the clip tap into that same divide, underscoring how reactions to violence—particularly when tied to powerful figures—have become a flashpoint.What To Know"Violence is never acceptable and any comments that suggest otherwise are in no way consistent with our mission and values," a UnitedHealth Group spokesperson told Newsweek via email Tuesday morning. "The person who made comments online about Saturday night’s incident at a Washington event where President Trump and many other political leaders were gathered is no longer employed by the company."The company did not identify the person in its statement. Social media users had alleged the woman in the clip was Alison King, a UnitedHealthcare employee, but Newsweek has not independently confirmed that King is the woman in the video. Newsweek has asked whether the company can confirm the person’s identity.What Did She Actually SayIn the video, since shared by several others, including by the influential "Libs of TikTok" social media account on X, the woman says:“You know we’re cooked as a country when my first reaction to hearing the news about Trump’s [assassination] attempt was—it was probably fake—I was like, ‘oh, that wasn’t real,’ probably fake.“And the second was ‘aww, they missed? So happy they missed.' Oh, yeah. That’s sad. That’s when you know we’re cooked.”The apparent original account was inaccessible on TikTok as of early Tuesday morning. Newsweek reached out to an email listed as King’s in screenshots shared online for comment.The post attracted heavy criticism from users on X, with some invoking the 2024 shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.“This violent rhetoric is dangerous and has no place in a civil society,” wrote X user @DonaldBauk91470“Isn’t that the company where the guy was assassinated […]” said @Billford888.“This is not the company that their CEO…

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