As RedState reported earlier, a New York State Supreme Court judge ruled on Monday that some of the evidence from accused assassin Luigi Mangione's backpack would be inadmissible during his state murder trial on grounds that the search conducted at the McDonald's, where Mangione was taken into custody, was unconstitutional.
The suspected murder weapon, however, along with a notebook allegedly containing a "manifesto" that was found in the backpack during a later search at the Altoona (PA) police station, was ruled admissible in what some news outlets have described as a "partial victory" for the prosecution.
Mangione, 28, is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, on December 4, 2024, by shooting him in the back as Thompson walked down the sidewalk of a Manhattan street just before 7 a.m. Mangione was caught five days later at the Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald's, thanks in part to a tipster.
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As we've also documented, Mangione has become a cult icon among unhinged leftists who view his alleged actions as justifiable in the context of insurance companies denying claims and charging high premiums. This is just one of many examples of the sick and twisted fangirling:
Loony Luigi Mangione fans dress up, line up for chance to see alleged cold-blooded killer in NYC court https://t.co/vm8wuECw3k pic.twitter.com/HrFlhrXtd9
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) December 1, 2025
In our story earlier, we referenced so-called "reporters" outside of the courtroom on Monday who sickeningly showed no remorse in expressing their belief that Thompson, the father of two teenage sons, deserved to die. In case you missed the videos, which were taken by a New York Daily News courtroom reporter and posted to her X account, watch (language warning):
“I’m saying fuck Brian Thompson. I don’t give a flying fuck he died,” says Ashley Rojas, wearing her press badge provided by @NYCMayorsOffice. Lena Weissbrot adds that Thompson’s teenage sons “are better off without him” and should “enjoy the blood money.” pic.twitter.com/uQnHIHoC0x
— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) May 18, 2026
They call themselves "Manginonistas":
Self-proclaimed “Mangionistas” Abril Rios, Ashley Rojas and Lena Weissbrot proudly showed off the passes they received from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration, apparently for their online content documenting Mangione’s upcoming trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
It didn't take long for word to get out among past and present New York City officials about the videos. Among them was former Big Apple mayor Eric Adams (D), who pointed the finger right at the city's current Democrat Socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, for scrapping a plan he (Adams) had tried to put in place to strengthen the credentialing process:
Over the past several years, we have repeatedly seen individuals carrying press credentials using them during demonstrations and events to harass police officers, intimidate members of the public, interfere with law enforcement operations, and shield activist behavior behind the label of “journalism.” That undermines the credibility of legitimate reporters and creates serious public safety concerns.
After hearing from multiple reporters with decades of experience reporting in NYC, before I left office, my administration was going through the process of rewriting the rules governing NYC press credentials to strengthen standards, protect the integrity of the press corps, and prevent political activists posing as journalists from obtaining official credentials and the access that comes with them. As your own publication reported, those proposed reforms were going through the rule-making process before being scrapped by the current administration:
[LINK]
That decision was reckless. Official press credentials should not be handed out in a way that allows extremists to abuse them while hiding behind the credibility and protections afforded to legitimate journalism.
This needs to change, and it needs to change now.
NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, one of only a handful of Republicans on the city council, noted that this was not about "biased reporting" but something much deeper and very troubling:
What we’ve known for a long time — there are huge problems in the NYC press corps. A ton of rot.
There are a few honest reporters still, but these monsters reflect a growing contingent of activists who leverage press access specifically for subversion.
Writing biased stories is the least of it.
Biased reporting is almost a quaint artifact of a simpler time at this point.
We’re talking about hardcore militants that contribute inside information about police identities, their families, and their addresses to leftist insurgent networks.
They run group chats where they dox and build dossiers on their political enemies, politicians, police, business leaders — anyone really. I know for a fact that myself and members of my family have appeared in these chats, with highly disturbing personal details about our locations and routines.
They have sources within city hall and the police department that leak the movements and deployment strategies of the NYPD — how do you think there’s always a mob waiting for the cops when they deploy for a politically sensitive operation? This is how.
They do it all under the shield of ‘journalism’, because we as a western nation respect the free press and have always taken steps to avoid interfering with the work of reporters.
So naturally it was a prime target for corruption by the left, who as usual are using our institutions of public trust against us.
We need to stop treating these people as anything less than terrorists. Because that’s exactly what they are. They WILL get people killed, and they’ll celebrate it when it happens.
What we’ve known for a long time — there are huge problems in the NYC press corps. A ton of rot.
— Hon. Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) May 18, 2026
There are a few honest reporters still, but these monsters reflect a growing contingent of activists who leverage press access specifically for subversion.
Writing biased stories is… https://t.co/V6WCPlq2dD
Honestly, it doesn't surprise me one bit that these purported "journalists" were able to obtain press passes, presumably from the Mamdani administration, when one considers related situations like this one:
I can confirm that there were numerous credentialed members of the NYC press corps who were wearing things like keffiyehs and Palestinian flags while allegedly covering the pro-Hamas "protests" outside synagogues. The NYC press corps is full of activists who managed to get credentials, not journalists.
I can confirm that there were numerous credentialed members of the NYC press corps who were wearing things like keffiyehs and Palestinian flags while allegedly covering the pro-Hamas "protests" outside synagogues.
— Yaakov Strasberg (@YaakovStras) May 18, 2026
The NYC press corps is full of activists who managed to get… https://t.co/wE2bPIYbcm
This is Mamdani's NYC now. And it's only going to get worse.
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