BREAKING NEWS: AOC calls denied insurance claims ‘acts of violence’ following the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO…see more

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Thursday said Americans see a denied insurance claim as an “act of violence.”

The remark followed the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was gunned down on a New York City street last week. The killing cast a national spotlight on the healthcare industry.

Authorities this week announced former Ivy League student and Maryland native Luigi Mangione is the prime suspect in Thompson’s death. AOC told CBS News producer Jaala Brown the reaction to the killing illustrates how Americans feel about their healthcare system.

“This collective American experience, which is so twisted to have in the wealthiest nation in the world, all of that pain that people have experienced is being concentrated on this event,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Healthcare companies that deny major claims, she added, are committing violence in the eyes of their customers.