Luigi Mangione’s Trump Problem BACKFIRED & What King Trump's Fights With New York & Ukraine Exposed
PDS Published 02/20/2025
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Donald Trump may have accidentally provoked a surge in support for America’s most beloved accused murderer.
Because last month, he signed an executive order telling his attorney general to pursue the death penalty "for all crimes of a severity demanding its use.” [Quote]
Which notably ended the pause on capital punishment from Biden, but it also threatens the life of one Luigi Mangione. [Image]
Right, because if the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is convicted on his federal murder charge, he’ll be eligible for the death penalty.
But if Trump raised the stakes on this case, he also inadvertently raised the pile of cash in Mangione’s piggy bank.
Because the top donor to his legal defense fund, someone who anonymously gave 11,000 dollars, cited Trump’s executive order and expressed concern that the death penalty will be “politicized.” [Quote]
Though if the case is politicized, it’s unclear whether that’s good or bad for Mangione.
Because while many people condemn him as a terrorist, many also see him as a hero. [Image]
With those turning him into a martyr for the cause of overthrowing the American healthcare system as we know it. [Image]
So as of today, his defense fund had accumulated nearly half a million dollars in donations. [Fund]
With the outpouring of support coming in all sorts of forms besides money.
Including mountains of letters sent to him in jail, heart-eyed women fawning over him, protesters donning Luigi hats outside the courthouse, and the r/FreeLuigi Reddit forum. [Image]
You’ve also got several documentaries about him that are either already out or still in production.
And then there’s just all the aspects of his personality, history and deed that make him appear likeable in the eyes of many.
From the way he shot Brian Thompson like a professional assassin to the monopoly money found in his backpack to the words “delay, deny, depose” written on his shell casings to his anti-corporate manifesto to his Super Mario Bros-esque name. [Image]
And so with so many people having an opinion on Mangione, you have legal experts saying jury selection is gonna be the hinge on which his trial turns. [Quote, find “vetting”]
With one telling Northeastern University News:
“You know that everybody has read something about the case or seen something on social media or on television, so it’s not so much about finding a jury that is oblivious to the case because that’s impossible. It’s about finding jurors who claim, and legitimately claim, that they haven’t made up their minds yet and that they can actually listen to the facts, listen to the evidence and apply the law in a way that’s equitable.” [Quote same link and image]
So naturally the prosecution is gonna do everything it can to weed out anyone who might be sympathetic to him.
But whoever’s on the jury, this trial, assuming it does go to trial, is going to be extremely public.
And there are a few different ways it could go.
Right, obviously he gets either convicted or acquitted, but both of those outcomes require a unanimous verdict by the jury.
So if even one person differs from the rest, that’s a hung jury, which results in a mistrial.
But there’s another possibility which most people don’t even know about, and it’s called jury nullification.
Right, this is when the jury agrees that someone did commit the crime they’re accused of, but they find the person not guilty anyway.
Right, it’s a wild card that’s usually pulled out when people oppose a particular law, like possession of a drug, for example.
And it’s hotly debated because on the one hand, a jury is only supposed to evaluate the facts and determine whether a crime was committed, not decide the punishment; that’s the judge’s job.
But on the other hand, the jury’s decision-making process is considered sacred; right, nobody’s allowed to interfere with it and they don’t have to explain their reasoning.
So if Mangione’s charm sways enough of the jury, not to mention if he takes the stand, some think that’s a real possibility. [Quote same link, find “nullification”]
And he’s already cultivating his image outside the courtroom, recently speaking out for the first time since his arrest in December.
With him writing from his Brooklyn jail cell:
“I am overwhelmed by - and grateful for - everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support. Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC [Metropolitan Detention Center] from across the country, and around the globe. While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future.” [Quote]
Signed “Luigi Mangione.”
Now his next appearance in New York state court is scheduled for tomorrow, and his next one in federal court is set for March 19.
So whether you love him, hate him, or feel some way in between, we can all look forward to what’s surely going to be one of the most widely followed trials in American history.
Links:
https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/luigi-mangione-message-to-supporters/
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-death-penalty-order-sparks-huge-luigi-mangione-donation-2033284
https://www.businessinsider.com/luigi-mangione-unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-manifesto-big-business-monopolies-2025-2
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Trump has started an all-out, balls-to-the-wall, battle royale with New York — over congestion pricing.
Maybe not the sexiest topic, but this battle will be an incredibly important test case for the Trump administration and America as a whole.
Right, so for some background here, in June of 2023, the Biden administration approved a pilot program that would allow New York City to implement the nation’s first congestion toll on motorists.
And after a year of delays — including a last-minute indefinite postponement due to backlash from lawmakers — the policy finally took effect this January.
And specifically, the toll would require most vehicles to pay $9 to enter Lower and Midtown Manhattan during peak hours.
With the idea here being to reduce traffic and pollution on some of the most crowded streets in the world, all while raising $15 billion to reinvest in the city’s crumbling mass transit system.
Right, and evidence from other cities around the world that have enacted these policies shows that while congestion pricing is often initially unpopular, it wins more public support over time as traffic and vehicle emissions fall and alternative transit grows.
Early data from New York indicates that gridlock has already lessened while foot traffic — a metric for business activity — has increased.
But, of course, the policy still has many opponents, who argue that it puts an undue burden on working-class motorists and will ultimately hurt businesses in the toll zone.
And those arguments have been echoed by the president himself, who has a residence at Trump Tower, which is in the congestion zone.
So it wasn’t surprising at all that the Trump administration moved yesterday to shut down the entire program just months after it began.
With Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sending a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul saying that Trump had directed him to “review” the pilot program.
Writing that “the President expressed his concerns about the extent of the tolling” and, quote:
“the significant burdens on the New York City residents, businesses and area commuters (including those from New Jersey and Connecticut) who regularly use the highway network.”
With Duffy going on to say that he shares those concerns, arguing that he also thinks it’s unfair that the revenues from the toll are invested in mass transit rather than highways.
And claiming that the scope of the program oversteps what was allowed by Congress.
Now, very notably here, the letter did not provide a date by which the administration plans to end the congestion pricing pilot.
And almost immediately after the news broke, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — which oversees the tolls — filed a federal lawsuit challenging the order.
With the suit alleging that Duffy and other federal officials violated multiple federal laws governing procedure, including due process rights protected under the Fifth Amendment.
Arguing that the federal government approved this project after extensive review, and the new administration does not have the power to go back on that less than three months in.
With Gov. Hochul also echoing that, blasting the Trump administration in various public comments, saying:
“I don’t care if you love congestion pricing or hate it, this is an attack on our sovereign identity, our independence from Washington.”
And then later adding in a statement on X:
“We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king.”[]
With that seemingly in reference to a Truth Social post that Trump made shortly before Hochul’s tweet where he wrote:
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Okay so… wow… a lot to unpack there…
But, unfortunately for Trump, he is not actually a king, and experts widely agree that the law is not on his side here and this move will face VERY high legal hurdles.
With Robert Glicksman, a professor of environmental and administrative law at George Washington University Law School, explaining:
“Declaring ‘I’m the king’ is not sufficient grounds for reversing. If the facts on the ground have not changed, then you have an extra high burden of justifying a reversal of position.”
“The y can’t just say: ‘Sorry. We changed our mind.’ They have to explain why.”
And that’s also been echoed by plenty of other legal scholars who say that there’s no precedent for federal officials to just reverse approval for a major transit project in New York.
But even if there was, the federal government likely doesn’t have the legal authority to stop the pilot program.
This including David Super, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, who argued that the federal statute that authorized the tolling program has no provision that would give Duffy that kind of power.
Noting that some statues do indeed give federal officials the ability to cancel approved programs after providing certain periods of notice, but adding:
“If you look at the text of this statute, there is no authority for this cancellation.”
And going on to say that if Duffy’s policy concerns are valid, he would have to take the matter to Congress.
So for now, we’ll just have to wait and see how all this plays out.
And in the meantime, New York officials have said that the congestion pricing program will remain in place until further notice.
But as we watch yet another consequential legal battle over Trump’s attempts to expand executive authority beyond the reaches of anything we’ve seen in modern history, I’d love to know any and all thoughts you have here.
Especially if you live in the New York area and commute into the city.
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PART 1:
With offhand comments and rambling falsehood-filled social posts, Donald Trump is upending decades of US foreign policy.
And I’m talking, of course, about Russia and Ukraine.
Right, earlier this week, we talked about how the US started talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine, without inviting Ukraine –
With Trump also reportedly demanding 50% of Ukraine’s mineral wealth as repayment for past military aid and not in exchange for any sort of security guarantee.
And with all of this this spurring European powers to start working on a massive new military aid package for Ukraine as well as discuss the possibility of contributing peacekeepers to back any deal on Ukraine –
Something Russia quickly said it wouldn’t accept.
But in just the couple days since then? Trump has fully flipped the script, blaming Ukraine’s leaders for Russia’s invasion and suggesting they might not deserve a seat at the table at all.
With this setting the stage for what experts are saying might be one of the country’s most consequential shifts in foreign relations ever.
Right, so starting Tuesday, you had Trump speaking to reporters and sounding as if he just found that people die during war but somehow also not understanding how the invading forces would bear responsibility:
“Russia wants to do something. They want to stop the savage barbarianism. I mean what’s going on over there it's soldiers are being killed by the thousands on a weekly basis. It's ridiculous and they're not American soldiers, they're Russian soldiers. and they're Ukrainian soldiers largely, although a lot of Koreans have been killed as you know.” (6:48-7:11)
And from there, you also had him basing Zelensky and claiming the Ukrainian president’s approval rating had dropped to 4 percent.
And finally, also addressing the issue of Ukraine being excluded from the opening round of negotiations and seemingly outright blaming the country’s leaders for the war:
“Today I heard ‘oh well we weren’t invited.’ Well you’ve been there for three years. You should’ve ended it — You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal. I could’ve made a deal for Ukraine that would’ve given him almost all of the land – everything – almost all of the land and no people would have been killed and no city would have been demolished and not one dome would have been knocked down, but they chose not to do it that way.” (16:11-16:34)
And with all that, yesterday, Trump just doubled down and went even further.
With a post on social media claiming that the US spent 350 billion dollars on aid to Ukraine –200 billion dollars more than Europe – and alleging that Zelenskyy admits that half of the money sent is “MISSING.”
With him then calling Zelensky, a “dictator without elections";
Warning he “better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
And finally, saying: “I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died.” []
Then, last night, Trump tripled down on his comments while speaking to investors and executives in Miami –
Again calling Zelenskiy a "dictator" and suggesting the Ukrainian president wanted to prolong the war to "keep the gravy train going" – referring to American military aid. []
With him finally speaking to BBC on Air Force One and saying Russia 'has the cards' in Ukraine peace negotiations.
With some, of course, saying, ‘yeah, because you stacked the deck for them.’
And with that pointing out the egregious lies told by Trump about the war in Ukraine over the past few days.
For example, his claims about how much America has spent supporting Ukraine and how it spent way more than Europe? False.
Right, it’s possible to arrive at a few different numbers depending on how you count it, but there’s seemingly no basis for the 350 billion figure.
One reliable estimate, for example, puts the total value of military, financial and humanitarian aid actually allocated to Ukraine by the US at around 119 billion. []
The number for Europe on the other hand?
Including both EU and non-EU countries it’s around 138 billion. []
Then, as far as Zelensky and the missing money?
That’s a bit of misinformation that’s been floating around ever since he said in an interview a few weeks ago that Ukraine had only actually received about $76 billion in aid from the US – and that he “didn’t know” where the rest of it was. []
You know, with him making a point about how Ukraine doesn’t actually get a lot of the money people think –
With most of it being spent in the US, largely going to American weapons manufacturers. []
Next, Zelensky’s “four percent” approval rating?
That’s not even close to accurate.
Right, one recent poll, for example, showed that 57% of Ukrainians trust Zelenskyy.
And while that figure is lower than it was at the outset of the war, it’s up from 52 percent in December. []
Trump’s approval rating on the other hand is dipping and is now down to about 44 percent according to one of the latest polls. []
Next, the idea that Zelensky is a dictator without elections?
Well, first of all, Zelensky won the presidency in a landslide victory in 2019.
And it’s true his five-year term was originally scheduled to end in 2024,.
But under the country’s constitution, an election cannot be held while martial law is in force.
With the rationale sort of being that holding an election would be a logistical nightmare when you have Russian missiles raining down on the country.[]
Though, notably, election experts also say that any vote held during wartime would effectively disenfranchise citizens living in Russian-occupied areas, those who have fled the country as refugees, and soldiers in combat. []
All that said, there is some real concern about the suspension of elections in the country.
Right, including from within Ukraine, where, for example, the mayor of Kyiv is among the officials who have accused Zelensky’s office of abusing its powers.
And at the same time, from abroad, with some of Ukraine’s allies also having pressured the country to move forward with elections despite the issues.
But either way, it’s not only inaccurate, but a pretty wild criticism to levy against Zelensky when the guy on the other side is Vladimir Putin.
Right, someone who’s effectively ruled Russia for twenty-five years, rigging elections and amending the constitution to extend his rule.
But of course, probably the biggest, most shocking, and most offensive claim?
That Ukraine is at fault for this war.
Right, because there is no doubt that Russia started the war by INVADING UKRAINE.
Right, back in 2014, Putin annexed Crimea and backed militants taking over the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine.
And, in 2022, almost exactly three years ago, he launched a full-scale invasion with the aim of toppling Zelensky's pro-Western government in Kyiv.
Right, the Russian military attacked from the east and north, including from neighboring Belarus, as well as from Russian-occupied Crimea.
That attack started the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.
And since then, Russian firepower has leveled whole cities and killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have also been killed and wounded, and Russian soldiers have committed atrocities.
With the ICC accusing Putin of war crimes and issuing a warrant for his arrest, along with other senior Russian officials.
And with all that, Zelenskyy has hit back against Trump's comments, claiming the US president is trapped in a “disinformation bubble” and saying:
"I would like to see more truth from the Trump team,"
"We've seen this disinformation, we understand it comes from Russia”
"Unfortunately, President Trump — and we have great respect for him as a leader of people we also respect very much — he lives in this disinformation space."
And with that, you had JD Vance criticizing Zelenskyy for “badmouthing” Trump and warning it’s an “atrocious way” to work with the U.S.
Notably, with us then hearing something similar from Russia, with a Kremlin spokesperson saying Zelenskiy made "inadmissible" remarks about other world leaders and adding:
"The rhetoric of Zelenskiy and many representatives of the Kyiv regime leaves much to be desired. The fact that Zelenskiy's rating is falling is an absolutely obvious trend."[]
The Kremlin also saying today it “absolutely” agreed with Trump on Ukraine and is ready to resume dialogue with the United States “on all parametres” of the war.
And of course, they may be eager to negotiate with the US and not others, because the concessions Trump and his team have suggested Ukraine might have to make? It reads like a Russian wish list.
It will get to keep all Ukrainian territory it illegally seized by force.
NATO membership is off the table and the US can’t provide any security guaratneee.
And Trump has even suggested that Russia be readmitted to the G7, which it was expelled from for its original 2014 incursion into Ukraine.[]
But then, all that he appears to be asking from Putin is that the Kremlin halt the fighting.
Right, Trump hasn’t highlighted any other concessions he would insist on.
He also hasn’t said how Putin could be trusted to keep an agreement given that he violated a 1994 pact guaranteeing Ukrainian sovereignty as well as two cease-fire deals negotiated in 2014 and 2015.[]
PART 2:
And ultimately, I can’t really overstate how much of a shift the US seems to be making with the way Trump is talking about and approaching the war in Ukraine.
Right, it’s been called a “remarkable moment in US foreign policy”; a “seismic shift.”
You have the Washington Post claiming this “head-spinning move away from decades of U.S. policy toward Russia…may lead to the most significant geopolitical realignment since World War II.”[]
And the New York Times explaining: “Trump is in the middle of executing one of the most jaw-dropping pivots in American foreign policy in generations, a 180-degree turn that will force friends and foes to recalibrate in fundamental ways.”[]
And I wanna be clear, these aren’t value statements.
Right, I’m not saying whether it’s good or bad, just that it’s SIGNIFICANT.
Right, to Trump and his allies, this pivot may be seen as a necessary change to a policy that they’ve long viewed as been misguided.
With them thinking the cost of defending Europe is too high and resources would be better spent counte ring China. []
Though, there, I will say, this hasn’t been the dominant view of even Republicans.
With us now seeing the GOP sort of split on this approach to Ukraine, though none really speaking out strongly against Trump specifically.
But in any case, we’re also already seeing the potential impact of this in Europe.
Right, with Politico, for example, talking about a new Western “crisis” coalition forming to basically develop a Ukraine policy separate from the U.S.
Right, notably, NATO would normally be the go-to place to discuss this issue, but these countries are meeting outside of that or any other existing venue.
And with that, excluding the US as well as NATO countries like Hungary and Slovakia that are generally seen as more sympathetic to Putin.
And notably, European politics – and European support for Ukraine – could be getting even more shook up this weekend with the German election.
Right, Germany is a leading member of NATO, as well as the second-biggest weapons supplier to Ukraine after the U.S.
But the far-right party, one which has been backed by Elon Musk?
It appears to be heading for its strongest result ever.
And it’s a pro-Russian party that’s supported ending aid to Ukraine.
And so that’s something to keep an eye on.
And as usual, this is all happening as the war is still going on.
Right, overnight, for example, you had Russia launching its second major drone attack on Ukraine this week.
Reportedly deploying 161 drones and a dozen missiles overnight, targeting energy in the northeast and southern parts of the country, and leaving thousand without power and heat.
And on top of that, Russia is now claiming that it has taken back more than 300 square miles of territory in the Kursk region that Ukraine had since launching a surprise offensive there last year.
But with that, I gotta pass the question off to you.
What are your thoughts with any and all of what we talked about here?
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Abolish the police immediately.
That’s what a grand jury in Cullman County, Alabama, suggested after reviewing an investigation into the Hanceville Police Department.
With the 18 person jury unanimously agreeing that the entire department should be immediately eliminated. [Headline]
And the district attorney quoting them as saying: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 03:55 - 04:02, 04:05 - 04:16] Caption: “We the grand jury find that the Hanceville Police Department is a particular and ongoing threat to public safety. … That there is a rampant culture of corruption in the Hanceville Police Department which has recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency.”
Now don’t get too excited; that doesn’t mean there would be lawless anarchy in this pocket of Alabama.
Rather, you’d just have another state or local law enforcement agency take over the responsibility of policing the 3,000-person city, as the grand jury recommended.
But even without full-blown abolition, this department’s been gutted, with five officers, including the police chief, as well as one of the officer’s wives, getting arrested and charged. [Image and image]
Right, the chief was charged with failure to report an ethics crime and tampering with physical evidence. [Quote, find “ethics crime”]
And as for the rest, they include computer tampering, tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, and use of an official position for personal gain. [Quote same link, find “personal gain”]
Now, as you could probably tell, a lot of the scandal here has to do with evidence.
And that’s because, in the grand jury’s words, the department failed to “account for, preserve and maintain evidence.”
With the DA pointing to this gaping hole in the wall, saying that if you stuck a broom through it, you could jimmy the handle to get the door open. [B roll, 07:41]
So using this trick, numerous unauthorized individuals reportedly accessed the evidence room routinely. [Same B roll]
Which, of course, not only destroyed the integrity of anything in there …
[Clip, 04:44 - 04:46] Caption: “This evidence is unusable.”
… but also allegedly killed someone.
With the grand jury finding that the department's “negligence, lack of procedure, general incompetence and disregard for human life” directly caused the death of one of its dispatchers, 49-year-old Chris Willingham. [Quote]
Right, he was reportedly found dead in his office last August.
And the cause of death was reportedly a cocktail of drugs including fentanyl, gabapentin [Gabba-pentin], diazepam [Die-azza-pam], amphetamine, carisoprodol [Pronounce 00:03] and methocarbamol [Pronounce]. [Quote same link, find “diazepam”]
With the manner of death listed as an accident. [Same quote]
So at the press conference, someone asked whether he was exposed to fentanyl from the evidence room.
And the district Attorney replied that Willingham had access to the evidence room the day he died, and that when he was found, there was “evidence” in his office. [B roll]
But if that’s how they treated their evidence, you can imagine what they did with the people in their custody.
[Clip, 04:54 - 05:06] Caption: “We the grand jury have zero confidence in the Hanceville Police Department’s ability to maintain a jail or to meet basic health and safety needs of jail personnel or inmates.”
With the DA not giving any more details than that.
So now it’s up to the city to actually abolish the cops if they want; we’ll see if that happens.
But you have the mayor saying in a statement:
“The Council will carefully consider all recommendations and act swiftly and decisively to address the problems within the Police Department.” [Quote]
Links:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/hanceville-alabama-police-department-officers-indicted-grand-jury-abolish/story?id=118989336
https://www.cullmantribune.com/2025/02/19/grand-jury-calls-for-abolition-of-hanceville-pd-6-arrested/
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