Trump admin uses Luigi Mangione case to 'send a message' in first 100 days: Former federal prosecutor

A erstwhile national authoritative said the Trump medication is utilizing the Luigi Mangione lawsuit to "send a message" successful the archetypal 100 days done its imaginable usage of the decease penalty.

Mangione pleaded not blameworthy to national charges of stalking, execution done a firearm, and different firearms offenses during an arraignment proceeding connected Friday. He's accused of sidesplitting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson successful December extracurricular a Hilton edifice wherever an yearly shareholder gathering was scheduled to instrumentality place.

Federal prosecutors indicated successful a Thursday nighttime filing that they mean to question the decease punishment against Mangione. Prosecutors argued that Mangione "intentionally" targeted and killed Thompson due to the fact that helium was the CEO of a large wellness security company.

"Mangione elected to execution Thompson nether these circumstances to amplify an ideological message, maximize the visibility and interaction of the victim's murder, and to provoke broad-based absorption to the victim's industry," prosecutors wrote.

LUIGI MANGIONE ASSASSINATION CASE SIGNALS DOJ SHIFT ON DEATH PENALTY IN BLUE STATES, EXPERT SAYS

Luigi Mangione appears successful Manhattan Supreme Court successful New York City connected Dec. 23, 2024. Mangione is facing execution charges for allegedly shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Curtis Means for DailyMail/Pool)

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced connected April 1 she would inquire a assemblage to question the decease penalty.

"After cautious consideration, I person directed national prosecutors to question the decease punishment successful this lawsuit arsenic we transportation retired President [Donald] Trump's docket to halt convulsive transgression and Make America Safe Again," Bondi said.

James Trusty, erstwhile Assistant United States Attorney astatine the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, told Fox News Digital wherefore helium thinks the Trump medication is seeking the decease penalty.

"I deliberation it's a high-profile lawsuit and they're wanting to nonstop a connection that the decease punishment is backmost connected the array for national prosecutions," Trusty said. 

The erstwhile national authoritative besides said determination mightiness person been "moral levers" pushed wrong the Department of Justice upon seeing Mangione beryllium hailed arsenic a leader by immoderate aft the alleged execution of Thompson.

"This full thought that Luigi Mangione is immoderate benignant of ‘folk hero’ for executing a begetter of 2 and, you know, sneaking up from down and shooting him. That whitethorn conscionable beryllium the benignant of happening that benignant of pushes immoderate motivation levers wrong the Department of Justice, wherever it's easier for them to beryllium comfy pursuing a decease penalty," Trusty said.

Luigi Mangione appears successful Manhattan Criminal Court for a presumption proceeding successful New York City connected Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Magnione is accused of sidesplitting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson extracurricular of a Manhattan edifice past year. (Curtis Means/Pool)

Trusty besides said prosecutors are going to request to "weigh" the anticipation of assemblage nullification erstwhile reasoning astir "how aggressively they're gonna prosecute this."

Trump ended erstwhile President Joe Biden's moratorium connected national executions erstwhile helium took bureau successful January. Biden antecedently paused each national executions successful cases not involving wide murders oregon terrorism.

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UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed connected Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group)

Before leaving bureau successful January, Biden commuted the decease sentences of 37 retired of 40 inmates who volition present look beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole.

Trump indicated successful December that helium would nonstop the Department of Justice to resume utilizing the decease penalty.

"As soon arsenic I americium inaugurated, I volition nonstop the Justice Department to vigorously prosecute the decease punishment to support American families and children from convulsive rapists, murderers and monsters," Trump said astatine the time.

Outside the courthouse during Friday's arraignment, a ample radical of Mangione supporters gathered and held signs that work "No decease for Luigi Mangione," "Free Luigi" and "Luigi earlier fascists."

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Supporters of Luigi Mangione stitchery extracurricular national tribunal successful Manhattan, Friday, April 25, 2025. The 26-year-old is facing execution charges for the alleged assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

Artist Scott LoBaido unveils a sculpture meant to correspond Luigi Mangione successful an electrical seat extracurricular national tribunal successful Manhattan, Friday, April 25, 2025. The 26-year-old Mangione is perchance facing the decease punishment arsenic helium pleads not blameworthy to execution charges for the alleged assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

One person, however, showed his distaste toward Mangione by bringing an electrical seat with a skeleton, depicted arsenic Mangione, sitting connected it. The antheral who brought the seat held a motion speechmaking "F--k Luigi."

Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.