Trumps silence over the CEO killing speaks political volume. Here’s why.

Ethan Corne

Vive la révolution! seems to have made a comeback, but this time it’s not outside the fortified walls of Bastille, but on the streets of the Big Apple. The shooting and subsequent killing of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson has captivated the American public, leaving many to question the true cost of this incident.

Normally, this would be seen as ideal political ammunition for Trump: a father of two is shot by an enraged, unhinged individual advocating for a progressive cause in a city- or should I say, a Democrat city-Trump once famously described as a ‘hellhole’. What more could one ask for? Whilst conservative commentators like Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh have been quick to weigh in on the case, describing it as a depraved act of calculated murder, the response from the Trump team has been surprisingly muted. It was only after a news reporter at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach residence, raised the issue with him, that he made an official response. But even this lacked the typical verbal extravaganza that often accompanies his remarks. Trump’s refusal to frame the incident as a ‘Left vs. Right' issue appears deliberate, as he aims to maintain support from his working-class voter base. Although growing divisions have caused working-class voters to disagree on most major issues, there is agreement over one issue in particular: the American healthcare system disproportionately favours private interests.

A study conducted by the Advisory Board found that individuals with lower incomes were more likely to say that they were concerned about access to healthcare. Following that logic, the killing of Brian Thompson might come as fresh air for lower-income people who have suffered from institutional abuse by healthcare insurance companies. The bitter online reaction to Thompson’s shooting revealed mounting frustrations with the system and the need for reform, exemplified by trending phrases such as “Deny, Defend, Depose" a term that refers to insurers denying payment on healthcare claims. Since Donald Trump became the leading figure of the Republican ticket in 2016, working-class support has risen by a large amount, particularly in Rust Belt states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, where the presence of blue-collar workers helped Trump gather the necessary votes needed to win the White House. The foundations of Trump’s political career lie in the hands of this demographic, making his position on this issue crucial and a tightrope in which he must tread with utmost care. The celebratory sentiment might ring alarm bells to those within Trump’s inner circle, who fear that the over-politicisation of the incident might cause people to turn against him. This is true of political pundits like Ben Shapiro, who have come under criticism in recent times for their alleged ‘pro-corporate’ stance. In a video published to his YouTube account titled, “The EVIL Revolutionary Left Cheers Murder!”, supporters of Shapiro openly expressed their disapproval towards him in the comment section, with some even going as far as to say that they would withdraw their subscription from him. One user said in a comment, “As a conservative, I’m sick of rich elitists destroying the family unit. Quite literally. I’m proud the left and right have united.” Another commented, “This isn’t a left vs right issue. It’s the working class vs the wealthy and that’s probably why you’re trying to pretend it’s something it’s not”. Comments like this represent only a tiny fragment of the wider sense of anger that is felt by the American public towards the insurance system. The video currently stands at 7.3K likes to 61K dislikes.

Unsurprisingly, the outburst has sent soundwaves throughout the conservative establishment. Trump’s support amongst working-class voters, particularly in the Rust Belt, may end up being temporary, depending on how he chooses to configure himself with the corporate wing of the Republican party. The 2020 election underscored the unpredictability of relying on this particular demographic, as Biden successfully reclaimed many of the Rust Belt states that were lost to the Republicans in 2016, such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, through the support of disenfranchised rust-belt workers. By staying silent on the matter, Trump has chosen the safest route in the political playbook; he wants to avoid falling into short-sighted political gestures that place him on the side of the establishment. After all, this is the same man who claimed to be ‘draining the swamp’ in 2016. Supporters of that mantra would argue that Brian Thompson represents the very establishment Trump vowed to challenge. Now, the pressure lies on him to stick to that promise. Failure to do so might be fatal.