AN ARMY OF LUIGIS: Colbert Shocked at Late-Night Monster He Created.
Colbert noted how the Left-wing fever swamp, although he didn’t use those words, went craz(ier) in recent days over a rumor that President Trump had died.
“When I came back into the office, I was shocked to learn that, this weekend, the biggest story was frenzied social media rumors speculating whether Donald Trump had died. For the record, Donald Trump is very much alive.”
The “Late Show” audience erupted in boos.
“No. We like our presidents alive. Donald Trump is very much alive.”
Colbert had to instruct his sycophants that wishing for a U.S. president’s death isn’t morally sound. It’s unclear if said audience took the message to heart, but its implications couldn’t be clearer.
They want him dead, and they’re happy to share that sentiment in public.
Related: The Rise of Luigism.
A political movement is testing its power. Call it Luigism.
Invoking Luigi Mangione—the Ivy League–educated radical who allegedly assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December—Luigism is the idea that violence is a legitimate response to the perceived injustices of capitalism. If the victim represents wealth, whiteness, pro-Israel Judaism, or institutional power, the killing can be framed as justified, or even glamorous.
Mangione has yet to stand trial, but he’s already been canonized. Social media is awash in fan art. Influencers praise his good looks. Merch with the slogan “Mama, I’m in Love with a Criminal” is available for purchase. A “Free Luigi” community has tens of thousands of members. More than $1 million has been crowdsourced for his legal defense, and according to polling, more than 40 percent of voters under 30 say Thompson’s killing was “acceptable.”
What makes Luigism dangerous is its memeified brutality. Innocence doesn’t matter. Context doesn’t matter. What matters is what the victim represents, and whether their death can be hash-tagged as justice. It is a worldview built on scapegoats and sacrifices.
Colbert routinely compares Trump to Hitler; how can he feign surprise and disappointment when his audience boos his continued existence?