Of Heroes & Hitmen

Daniel Penny and Brian Richardson's Unsurprising Cases

Dec 08, 2024

The Brian Thompson Assassination: A Warning Shot or Inevitable Consequence?

News broke Wednesday morning of the brutal and mysterious murder of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, sending shockwaves through corporate America. Thompson wasn’t just a healthcare executive; he was the leader of one of the most powerful healthcare empires in the world—a juggernaut that commands billions in revenue, wields enormous influence in the corridors of power, and has come under fire for its role in the post-COVID healthcare landscape.

Now, here’s where things get unsettling. It was clear from the get-go this wasn’t some random act of terror as most New Yorkers have grown accustomed to. This was a clear ‘hit’ with the assailant using a silencer and waiting to pounce in the shadows.

More importantly, Thompson’s assassination didn’t happen in a vacuum; it comes amid growing public anger at a healthcare system many feel has abandoned them. Notably, UnitedHealth Group has the dubious distinction of denying over 32% of insurance claims, a figure far higher than its peers. This revelation sparked a firestorm of online commentary following Thompson’s death, with some expressing outright fury at a system that appears more invested in profits than in people’s well-being. For those paying attention, this anger—and even the morbid cheerleading over his demise—shouldn’t come as a surprise.

A System Built on Injustice

In a government and corporate environment where elites create and abide by their own rules—rules that rarely benefit the average person—Thompson’s death is a grim reflection of a larger issue. For years, the divide between those in power and the people they ostensibly serve has been widening. The outrage surrounding Thompson’s assassination highlights what happens when the average person feels reduced to nothing more than a cog in a profit machine, with little recourse or representation.

I’ve been warning for years: when there are no meaningful checks and balances, and when the institutions designed to protect and empower the people instead treat them as disposable, it’s only a matter of time before frustration boils over.

Be it in government, business, or elsewhere, when the systems in place ignore or actively harm the majority, people will eventually take matters into their own hands.

Dancing on the Precipice

We came dangerously close to this precipice during the pandemic. Under the guise of “safety,” the Biden administration’s march toward authoritarianism eroded civil liberties, while corporations like UnitedHealth reaped record profits. The anger simmering beneath the surface wasn’t just about masks or mandates—it was about a fundamental breakdown of trust. Americans saw firsthand how the elites exempted themselves from the rules while imposing restrictions, layoffs, and financial ruin on everyone else.

The Founders intended for this nation to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. When we depart from that vision—when our political and business leaders fail to provide real representation or even a semblance of fairness—lawlessness becomes inevitable. From tax evasion to civil disobedience to outright vigilantism, these acts aren’t shocking; they’re the natural consequence of a broken system.

Who Benefits from Thompson’s Death?

The original questions surrounding Brian Thompson’s assassination remain unanswered, but they’re worth asking: Why now? Cui bono? What battles was he fighting behind closed doors? And most importantly, who stands to gain from his silence? Skeptics might point to mafia-style corporate "clean-ups" of loose ends, particularly in a company as deeply embedded in the healthcare-industrial complex as UnitedHealth. Others see this as a warning shot—a grim indicator that the people’s patience with unchecked power and systemic abuse is wearing thin.

Unless this is some elaborate misdirection, it’s highly likely the killer was someone who felt wronged by UnitedHealthcare. The chilling detail: the shooter inscribed "Deny Defend Depose" on the shell casings—a direct reference to the notorious operating procedures of many health insurance companies. These practices often involve delaying or outright denying legitimate claims, leaving policyholders—despite paying tens of thousands in premiums—bankrupt and abandoned. The book below provides a comprehensive look into this all-too-common and devastating reality.

Whatever the truth, one thing is clear: when a system becomes so corrupt that people feel they have no choice but to disregard laws or take matters into their own hands, it’s no longer just individuals who are to blame. The system itself has become the perpetrator.

A Moment of Reckoning

Thompson’s death, though tragic, is a wake-up call. It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about the systems we’ve allowed to fester unchecked. Whether in healthcare, government, or any other institution, the divide between the powerful and the powerless has grown too wide to ignore. This isn’t just about one man or one company—it’s about the trajectory of an entire society.

If we continue down this path—where the elites enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else and accountability remains nonexistent—we shouldn’t be surprised when people lash out. Whether through civil disobedience or more violent means, history has shown us that when the pressure builds, it eventually explodes.

For those of us paying attention, Brian Thompson’s death isn’t just a mystery; it’s a message. The question is, will we listen?

The Fauci Pardon: A Test of Trump’s Resolve

If you thought Trump’s first term was a whirlwind, his second promises to be a reckoning. Among the most contentious issues swirling this week was the chatter surrounding a potential Anthony Fauci pardon. Yes, Fauci, the face of the COVID regime, the man who flip-flopped on masks, misled Congress, and arguably oversaw one of the greatest public health failures in American history.

Now, let’s be clear: The idea of a Fauci pardon isn’t coming from Trump—it’s being floated as a trial balloon by establishment voices desperate to shield their patron saint of “The Science™️” from any accountability. The logic? A pardon would shield Fauci and other architects of the Pandemic thus frustrating those seeking accountability.

But here’s the thing: pardoning Fauci isn’t just about letting one man off the hook. It’s about signaling whether we’re serious about holding the architects of COVID tyranny accountable. Fauci represents everything the Trump movement stood against: unelected bureaucrats drunk on power, using fear as a tool to subjugate the masses.

To pardon Fauci would be a betrayal of the millions who suffered under lockdowns, lost their businesses, or faced ostracism for refusing to comply with vaccine mandates. If anything, Fauci doesn’t deserve a pardon; he deserves a special investigation that unpacks not just his role but the entire machinery behind the pandemic response. The truth, no matter how uncomfortable, needs to come to light.

Trump’s Counteroffensive: Breaking the UniParty’s Grip

Trump’s second act is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious counteroffensives in modern political history. With a mandate bolstered by a populist groundswell and a dream team of reformers by his side, Trump is charging headlong into the swamp. But this time, the fiercest resistance isn’t just coming from Democrats—it’s coming from within the Republican Party itself.

Take the nomination of Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary. Hegseth, a Bronze Star recipient, veteran of multiple combat tours, and outspoken advocate for reforming the bloated military bureaucracy, is precisely the kind of leader needed to shake up the Pentagon. Yet, his nomination has been met with staunch opposition from Iowa Senator Joni Ernst and other so-called Republicans, who cloak their objections in rhetoric about “stability” and “experience” while quietly working to preserve the status quo. These are the same Uniparty Republicans who’ve gotten fat and rich off defense contracts and endless wars. They’re not opposing Hegseth because he’s unqualified—they’re opposing him because he threatens their gravy train.

The biggest obstacle Trump faces isn’t the Democrats—it’s these entrenched, self-serving Republicans. The UniParty, as it’s often called, thrives on stagnation and resists any attempt to disrupt its cozy, symbiotic relationship with corporate America and the administrative state. The swamp isn’t just deep; it’s bipartisan.

Government Inefficiency: The Case for Elon and Vivek

Meanwhile, Trump’s allies like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are zeroing in on the bloated federal workforce, an issue emblematic of the inefficiency that plagues Washington. This week, a stunning statistic emerged: only 6% of federal employees work full-time at the office. Let that sink in. The vast majority of federal workers are operating under erratic, hybrid, or remote arrangements, with productivity plummeting as a result. And when you exclude maintenance and security staff, that number drops even further.

For years, I’ve argued that you could cut 50%-80% of government employees without noticing a difference. Turns out, that was optimistic—the real number might be closer to 95%. Imagine the savings, the efficiency, and the renewed accountability if the dead weight was finally trimmed.

Musk proved this principle when he took over Twitter, slashing the workforce by more than 75% while improving platform performance. If you think he wouldn’t bring the same ruthless efficiency to a federal government overhaul, you’re not paying attention. And Vivek, with his unapologetic commitment to dismantling regulatory overreach and restoring merit-based governance, is just the kind of disruptor Trump needs in his corner.

The Stakes: Reform or Ruin

Trump isn’t just assembling a Cabinet—he’s assembling a revolutionary force. Names like Hegseth, Musk, and Ramaswamy represent a direct threat to the entrenched interests that have turned Washington into a dysfunctional morass. This is why the resistance to Trump isn’t coming solely from the Left; it’s coming from UniParty Republicans who’ve built their careers on ensuring nothing ever changes.

These Republicans are the ones blocking progress, undermining reform, and sabotaging their own party to protect their perks and positions. They are the greatest obstacle to the sweeping changes Trump and his team are prepared to implement.

The federal government has become an unaccountable, bloated organism, sustained by inertia and insulated from the consequences of its failures. Trump’s counteroffensive, from slashing the workforce to reforming defense spending and enforcing voter integrity, is the existential threat the swamp has been dreading.

And let’s not forget—Trump’s track record of being underestimated is the very reason he’s won before. The swamp can resist all it wants, but the tide is turning. The question isn’t whether reform is possible; the question is whether the UniParty can stop it in time. The people have made their choice, and the mandate for change has never been clearer.

These stories—Thompson’s murder, Fauci’s possible pardon, and Trump’s unrelenting counteroffensive—are not isolated. They’re symptoms of a deeper war being waged for the soul of this nation. At its core, this battle isn’t just about politics; it’s about power, control, and the future of Western civilization.

The murder of a corporate titan like Brian Thompson sends a chilling message: no one, not even those at the top of the pyramid, is safe in a world where shadowy forces dictate outcomes. Fauci’s potential pardon represents a litmus test for whether accountability in government is even possible. And Trump’s maneuvers remind us that fighting the system is not for the faint of heart.

The question isn’t whether we’ll face more turbulence in the weeks and months ahead. The question is whether we, as a nation, have the courage to confront the truth, no matter how inconvenient or terrifying it may be.

So, as we head into the final stretch of 2024, keep your eyes open and your mind sharp. The stakes have never been higher, and the stories we choose to focus on today will shape the narratives of tomorrow.

And remember, truth is a weapon—wield it wisely.

Pomp’s Take on the Daniel Penny Case Matches Mine

Good reflections on the Penny case by

Anthony Pompliano

. I’ve written repeatedly about this case as I think it is that important. Frankly, I refuse to accept a society where individuals like Penny are punished and have their lives ruined for stepping in to help others. Equally, I won’t stand by while partisan prosecutors trample on justice to advance their own careers. I’m committed to doing everything in my power to ensure such abuses are eradicated and justice is restored to its rightful place.

Hopefully by the time you read this, the jury will come back hung or ready to acquit. IF it’s a hung jury, EXTREME political and public pressure should be put on corrupt Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and his hatchet girl Dafna Yoran to drop the case.

Daniel Penny is an American hero by Anthony Pompliano.

His situation has been eating away at me and I have chosen to only talk about it in private until now. But I believe it is important that more people feel free to discuss these situations, so I may as well start with myself.

The reason this situation is disturbing is because I could have been Daniel Penny. We both served in the military and deployed overseas. The military trains young men to stand up for what is right, especially when defenseless women and children are being directly threatened by a credible threat.

If my wife and children were on that subway car alone, I pray that a young man like Daniel Penny would step in and protect them.

I have paid close attention to Penny trial. The evidence is overwhelming that Daniel Penny did exactly what we should hope every young man in the country would do in that situation — he put himself in danger to protect women and children.

After putting himself in danger and gaining control of the situation, every innocent citizen was able to safely escape the situation at the next train stop. The police arrived and Jordan Neely was still alive.

But here is the insane part — the police did not administer first aid because they were scared for their own personal safety. They felt there was a risk of contracting HIV.

Imagine a scenario where a young man is willing to put himself in danger to potentially save innocent bystanders' lives, but the police deem the situation so risky when they show up that they are unwilling to put themselves in the same danger.

That is the definition of what a hero does.

If we live in a society that tries to punish young men for doing the right thing—for protecting women and children that are in danger—then we will live in a society that is overrun by criminals.

That is not the society we want to live in.

The jury is currently deliberating the fate of Daniel Penny. They just told the judge that they are deadlocked and can not reach consensus.

This means there is at least one courageous individual in that jury room that is refusing to go along with the charade. Whoever that individual is, may we hope they continue to stand strong in the face of immense pressure.

Daniel Penny acted heroically on that subway train and now his freedom depends on a fellow citizen doing the same thing in that jury room.

Hopefully we find out today there is more than one hero ready to stand up for what is right.

Anthony Pompliano

Update: Late Friday afternoon, the jury informed the Judge that they were deadlocked on the manslaughter charge. The Judge allowed the DA to dismiss that charge and put it back to the jury to just consider Count 2 - criminally negligent homicide (a lesser charge/sentence).

While some may see this as a positive development, my instincts suggest it’s not an entirely favorable outcome for Penny—aside from removing the most severe charge from consideration.

Typically, when a jury is deadlocked, the judge declares a mistrial, leaving it to the district attorney to decide whether to recharge the defendant. However, given the intense public scrutiny and the blatant miscarriage of justice surrounding this case, it seems unlikely—even for the hyper-partisan and anti-white, anti-conservative Manhattan DA—that Penny would face a retrial.

The risk now is that the jury, feeling pressure to compromise, might acquit on the most serious charge but convict on a lesser one, leaving Penny branded a felon and facing prison time. Such a verdict would hardly qualify as a victory and raises serious questions about its propriety under New York law.

Here’s FrostyTakes on Twitter with a good summary.

To those celebrating the manslaughter dismissal in the Daniel Penny trial:

This isn't a good thing. It's jury misdirection by the DA's office. 🧵

The charging instructions in the trial had 2 counts listed. Manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Manslaughter was Count 1 and criminally negligent homicide was Count 2.

The way the charging instructions were written, the jury could only move on to Count 2 if they found Penny "Not Guilty" of Count 1.

After 4 days of deliberations, the jury announced that they were deadlocked on Count 1, meaning that they couldn't come to a unanimous verdict.

In any other criminal court system in America, this would be deemed a "Mistrial."

Since the jury wasn't unanimous on Count 1, they were not allowed to consider Count 2.

The prosecution could see that the court was on the verge of declaring a mistrial. Here comes the play...

Prosecutor's requested to dismiss Count 1. This was after they presented their case and rested. This was after the jury deliberated. And after the jury announced they were deadlocked.

The judge actually entertained this bullshit.

So the Prosecution was allowed to dismiss Count 1 after the jury was deadlocked...in order to force the jury back into deliberations on Count 2.

So the state just attempted to make their case easier to prove via a dubious legal maneuver that sidesteps criminal procedure.

Hell, the judge doesn't even know if this is appropriate. He took the prosecution team's word for it.

And now, Daniel Penny's fate will once again rest with jurors who have been put in an impossible situation by a rogue DA with an agenda.

They were told to come back Monday and deliberate on Count 2.

There is nothing to celebrate here.

Addendum:

For those saying that Trump should pardon Daniel Penny if he is convicted... it doesn't work like that.

A Presidential pardon applies to Federal charges; not state and local charges.

r/ConservativeMemes - Daniel Penny should be fully acquitted

Syria

Long issue already so not going to dig deep here, but be aware that Assad’s Syria is about to crumble and the state thrown into [even greater] chaos.

Syria is currently experiencing a significant escalation in its long-standing civil conflict. In late November 2024, a coalition of rebel forces, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed factions, launched a surprise offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. This offensive has led to the capture of key cities such as Aleppo and Hama, marking the most substantial territorial gains by opposition forces in nearly a decade.

The rapid advancement of rebel forces has brought them within six miles of the capital, Damascus, intensifying concerns about the stability of Assad's government. The regime's military capabilities have been further strained by the diminished support from key allies like Russia and Iran, who are currently preoccupied with other regional conflicts.

Turkey's role in this conflict is particularly noteworthy. While Turkish officials have denied direct involvement in the recent rebel offensive, analysts suggest that Turkey's consent was crucial, aligning with Ankara's objectives to counter Kurdish forces linked to the PKK. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticized Assad for failing to negotiate Syria's future, indicating a complex interplay of regional interests.

The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, with thousands of civilians fleeing towards government strongholds in Latakia and Tartus to escape the escalating violence. The potential fall of Homs, a strategic city connecting Damascus to the Mediterranean coast, could further isolate the Assad regime and exacerbate the crisis.

Internationally, there is growing concern about the resurgence of Islamist groups within the rebel coalition, which could lead to further regional instability. The shifting alliances and the uncertain stance of global powers, including the United States, add layers of complexity to the conflict's resolution.

In summary, Syria is at a critical juncture, with the Assad regime facing unprecedented challenges from a revitalized rebel offensive, waning support from traditional allies, and a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape. The coming days and weeks will be pivotal in determining the country's trajectory and the broader stability of the region.

Here’s a quick (tongue-in-cheek) chart if you’re following:

As Trump noted, we might want to sit this one out.

And while tens of thousands more will likely perish—adding to the staggering body count that Assad and Erdogan have racked up over the past decade—don’t expect this carnage to dominate the headlines or spark campus sit-ins. Why? Because it’s Muslims killing Muslims, not Israel or Jews.

That means the media will collectively shrug, the nightly news will bury it under stories about Taylor Swift's dating life, and the so-called "Pro-Palestinian" protesters will suddenly lose their voices. No cries of "genocide," no fiery op-eds, no Instagram posts drenched in righteous outrage.

If the hypocrisy weren’t so grotesque, it’d almost be funny. This is the world we live in: if the narrative doesn’t fit, it didn’t happen.

Adios Krugman

In honor of the world's dumbest economist announcing he will be walking away from the NYT, we should all take time to remember when he actually answered one of the "computer security" phone calls and likely gave up access to his device and paid money to the scammer.

Here are a few other of this Nobel Prize winning economist’s greatest calls.

1. Post-2016 Election Market Crash: Claimed financial markets would crash and never recover from Trump’s win, but they surged.

2. Immediate Brexit Meltdown: Warned of dire short-term consequences that largely failed to materialize and also predicted a EuroZone breakup in 2008.

3. Completely missed the boat on inflation in 2021 and stuck to that position for years. He was part of what he later called "Team Relaxed," arguing that the American Rescue Plan would not lead to high inflation.

4. He pissed on Gold and Bitcoin his entire career and discouraged people from holding.

And of course, there’s this all time loser. The internet is akin to a fax machine and will have no greater impact.

Paul Krugman is the perfect relic of a bygone era—the era of the closed-system credentialed class, where institutions like Ivy League economics departments and Beltway think tanks operated as echo chambers for the elite. In this system, incompetence and corruption weren’t bugs; they were features, hidden behind glossy credentials and endless airtime on networks cozy with the CIA’s favored narratives.

Krugman wasn’t an economist so much as a ventriloquist’s dummy for whatever policy the establishment wanted to sell that week. Today, that game’s over. The internet, independent media, and real-time fact-checking have obliterated the gates once held by institutions like the New York Times, where Krugman still lingered up until this week like a bad smell. The only place you can hide someone as discredited and wrong as Krugman is in a failing, archaic institution like the NYT whose relevance is on life support. He’s not an oracle; he’s a monument to everything the digital age has exposed.

Good riddance.

The Next 3 Books for the Movement

Good thread by my friend Joshua Lisec on the next 3 books someone should write (with Joshua preferably) to fortify the movement:

The 3 books MAGA needs right now... 📚

Which one are you going to write? 🤔

Come with me and see. 🧵

No, these don’t exist (yet). But now that Trump won, we the people have new battles to fight. We need the plan to win them.

Here’s the first one:

Let’s say it’s summertime. You go out to the yard and pick up a rock. Sunlight reaches the ground beneath. What immediately happens?

<skitter-skitter-crawl-crawl-crawl>

Yep, all manner of little nasties go running for cover.

You understand.

Yes; the FIRST book the Right needs in 2025 and beyond and is one I know SEVERAL of you could write.

It’s the SUNLIGHT book. ☀️

Like an indie journalist, you will EXPOSE all the corruption, scandals, and “how bad things really are” truths of your industry, niche, or space.

Two benefits for SUNLIGHT MAGA book:

A), you will give the Trump administration and its influencers a physical report that they should be aware of—in book form. If your book is any good, expect it to reach them.

And B), the post-Trump right now has REAL problems to set its sights on uprooting. It may take more than 4 years!

Speaking of more than 4 years, the SECOND book the Right needs right now is a handbook on organizing. 📋

Organizing individuals into groups, groups into movements, and movements into unstoppable force with will to power.

How can conservatives and patriots organize to win local elections that matter? Overturn woke rules? Drive out far leftists from key institutions outside Trump’s purview?

Write this book. We need it.

Because we know that a BIG problem with Republicans is the tendency to show up en masse every four years in one place.

There is a tendency to allow Democrats to win everything everywhere else in the meantime, or at least make great advances.

What if there was a BOOK (or books) that showed the Right how to come together to DECIDE to win important cultural, political, and legal battles in any domain—even without huge financial backing—with sheer force of number alone?

That book would keep MAGA in power through the turn of the next century! Speaking of which…

The THIRD book we need now and into perpetuity is the VISION BEYOND TRUMP. 🔭

Yes, we love our Trump-Vance ticket. We expect a President Vance for eight years after.

The culture is beginning to shift away from the woke and to the right (and the right).

But those people are still here, the far leftists, and they still wield immense institutional power.

America’s 250th birthday will pass just as Elon and Vivek’s DOGE work is coming to an end. Expect great things.

But we can’t hope things will continue to improve.

For years, the Right has been “anti-” various left-wing policies and pushiness. OK, but what for? Trump was the answer to this. “We are FOR Trump!"

That rallied conservatives, centrists, and non-mentally ill liberals together in ways no other cause for the Right has in a long time.

So what then will the Right stand for after Trump?

This is the vision we will need.

We will need it sooner than later.

And we will need it so that everything Trump and Co. do over the next four years will not have been done in vain—so that it will not be immediately up-ended or reversed or backslidden or forgotten.

We need a vision to KEEP AMERICA GREAT FOREVER.

Now, we’ve suggested before that Donald Trump himself make this very book his presidential memoir, and vice-versa.

Most recently, we suggested he title it AMERICA 2076. And as you know, we have made the case for me to co-author this book with the President-Elect.

It would be an honor; it would also be fun. If you’ve read my last two co-authored works UNHUMANS and BULLETPROOF, you know this team-up makes sense.

That said, YOUR industry, niche, and network will need a vision, too.

Not just a grand idea set for the future of America, but the portion for which YOU are responsible.

Enough with what you don’t want and from whom you don’t want it. What do you WANT to see BUILT?

Best place to start that answer is with YOU writing a BOOK to lay out the vision in physical, shareable form.

There is no better medium to change the world than through the printed page.

Tweets may be how you get noticed in 2024; books are how you get understood—and get taken serious.

I am the one to know. This is what I do. 📚

So, which book of the 3 must-write MAGA books are you best suited for?

Which do you want to read?