Warren on UnitedHealth CEO Incident: 'Violence Is Never Justified, But There Are Limits to How Much People Can Endure
**Sen. Elizabeth Warren on UnitedHealth CEO's Killing: "Violence Is Never the Answer, But Regulation Is Needed"**
During Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s *The ReidOut,* Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) discussed the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. She emphasized that “violence is never the answer” and stressed that justice must take its course, saying, “The accused gets a trial.” However, Warren acknowledged the broader frustrations fueling public anger, adding, “You can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands.”
Host Joy Reid introduced the discussion [around the 36:20 mark], highlighting public outrage at UnitedHealthcare’s practices, particularly the denial of care. Reid remarked, “Killing a CEO is not the way to change things—you have to regulate them. We’ve seen efforts to rein in big businesses, like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which you created. Now, the Trump administration wants to dismantle it. If that happens, who will protect people from things like credit card fraud?”
Warren agreed, reiterating that systemic change requires regulation, not violence. She explained, “Terrible things happen on an individual level, but we need to reflect on the social contract that has sustained this democracy for over 200 years. The idea is that those at the top contribute a little more, ensuring everyone else has a chance. When billionaires dominate and squeeze every last penny, it creates desperation. We must focus on fair regulation to restore balance, not rely on extreme actions.”
She concluded by reinforcing the need for justice and systemic reform, stating, “Violence solves nothing, but ignoring the root causes of people’s frustrations risks greater harm in the long run.”
**Reid and Warren Discuss the Need for Regulation and Tax Reform**
Host Joy Reid responded to Warren’s remarks by agreeing, “They start to take—yeah.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren continued to emphasize the importance of regulation, particularly in addressing corporate overreach and tax policy. She stated, “We need regulation, in part, to rein those guys in. And you know where this is coming big time ahead of us? On taxes. The big boys, just like you said, their plan is to rush through this tax plan right at the beginning of 2025, get themselves a bunch more tax breaks, and then put the real burden of running this country on ordinary, hard-working families.”
Warren’s comments underscored her call for systemic changes to ensure fairness and accountability, particularly in how corporations and the wealthy contribute to the nation's economy.
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You can only push people so far
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