If you think your week was dramatic, try being Luigi Mangione‘s defense attorney! The 27-year-old accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has found himself at the center of a political firestorm in the Trump era. And his lawyers say it’s all part of Donald Trump‘s plan. In a new court filing, Mangione’s defense team claims the current administration has turned their client into “a pawn to further its political agenda.” They’re now asking a federal judge to dismiss his three charges — including murder — arguing that Trump and the Justice Department have compromised his right to a fair trial.
Their evidence is just as dramatic. The motion centers around what Mangione’s lawyers describe as “unprecedented” presidential interference. They point to a September 25 proclamation titled Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence, in which Trump compared Brian Thompson’s death to the “assassination of a senior healthcare executive” by Antifa-inspired extremists. While Trump didn’t refer to Mangione directly, the language made it clear who he meant.
That followed a recent Fox News interview in which Trump labeled Luigi Mangione a “pure assassin.” According to the defense, these remarks were calculated efforts to poison the jury and set the stage for a death penalty. Federal prosecutors disagree, though. They argue that Trump is not really involved in the case and that his rhetoric is irrelevant to the trial. But Mangione’s lawyers counter that the Justice Department has not acted independently.
The Trump administration is making Luigi Mangione “a pawn to further its political agenda,” his attorneys argued Friday in a new court filing that asked a federal judge to either dismiss the indictment or take the death penalty off the table. https://t.co/sEWd7OqIwt pic.twitter.com/yCeEfABwnQ
— ABC News (@ABC) October 17, 2025
If the president’s comments weren’t enough, Attorney General Pam Bondi is fanning the flames. The loyal MAGA ally has repeatedly said Mangione deserves the death penalty. She even called it:
“The next step in carrying out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
Meanwhile, Luigi Mangione’s defense claims Bondi’s department has been taking cues from the Oval Office. They say Bondi has made her press appearances and Fox News hits into a PR crusade to prejudice potential juries. The judge overseeing the case has warned the DOJ about its conduct, too. He hinted that sanctions could be on the table if the department violated Mangione’s right to a fair trial. But the defense says that the warning hasn’t done much.
Over in Pennsylvania, Luigi Mangione’s legal woes continue. A Blair County judge denied his right to a speedy trial, saying that he refuses to appear virtually. Mangione insists on showing up in person. What’s interesting is that the man accused of a high-profile assassination and accused by the president of being a domestic terrorist is begging for his day in court, while the system around him halts. According to KOMO News prosecutors are required to update the court every 60 days on their “availability” — a process the defense has mocked as bureaucratic delay.
It’s all very textbook. Donald Trump’s Justice Department insists it’s just doing its job. Luigi Mangione’s lawyers say it’s doing Trump’s bidding. Yet stuck in the middle is a defendant whose life may depend on which of those the judge believes.
