The Optics Battle of Luigi Mangione’s Federal Arraignment

At almost exactly 1 p.m. on Friday, Luigi Mangione walked into a Manhattan federal courtroom through the back door. In his beige prison garb, flanked by US marshals, he looked expressionless, but as he sat and chatted with his attorney Marc Agnifilo, he broke into a couple of smiles.

For the duration of the 35-minute hearing, following Mangione’s federal indictment on charges of stalking and murdering health care CEO Brian Thompson, the defendant was mostly an observer. At 1:06 p.m., he had a chance to say seven words: “I have,” in response to whether he had seen the indictment; “yes,” to confirm he’d had enough time to review it; “I waive,” to forgo his right to have the indictment read in court. And then Mangione gave his plea of “not guilty.”

If the proceeding was mild, the moral and political weight surrounding it has been staggering. Thompson’s killing took place after Donald Trump was reelected but about a month and a half before he took office again. The case, an instant global news phenomenon, turned Mangione into a cult hero in some corners—a telegenic face with a widely resonant message. For the Trump administration, it has been an opportunity to flex the punitive muscle that has quickly become the defining hallmark of the president’s second term. On Thursday, the day before Mangione was arraigned, federal prosecutors filed their formal notice of intent to seek the death penalty.

“Mangione elected to murder Thompson under these circumstances to amplify an ideological message,” they wrote, “maximize the visibility and impact of the victim’s murder, and to provoke broad-based resistance to the victim’s industry.”

In late March, after vandalism meant to protest Elon Musk had been reported at several Tesla dealerships, US attorney general Pam Bondi posted a disorienting video of herself speaking with a chilling flatness. “If you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties,” she said, “we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars.” This, in large part, has constituted the Department of Justice’s public rhetoric under Trump, with the administration’s gleeful use of social media to roll out its most aggressive measures. Mangione’s lawyers have argued that Bondi’s motivation in announcing her intent to seek the death penalty was to generate press, noting that she discussed the decision in a Fox News interview and “publicly released her order so she would have ‘content’ for her newly launched Instagram account.”

Outside the courthouse, one man echoed Bondi’s fervor. Scott LoBaido, a Staten Island–born artist who has achieved a minor degree of tabloid notoriety for his pro-Trump creations, displayed a crude work titled Deep Fried Luigi, featuring a skeleton strapped to an electric chair and wearing the green hat of the video game character Luigi, a common signifier for Mangione. “Fuck Luigi and his jagoff followers,” read a sign LoBaido held above his head.

A more sizable crowd came out in support of Mangione, including about 15 protesters with a vivid array of signs. “Counterproductive But Not Criminal” and “No More Death by Deductible” were among the hoisted messages. A business card I found on the ground linked to a pro-Mangione fan site. It also had a message: “Expose the plot of the most brutal betrayal and sabotage of Luigi Mangione’s right to a fair trial and to the voice of ‘We the people,’ plotted by criminal activist Kathy Hochul and vicious Keren Friedman Agnifilo.” (Marc Agnifilo’s wife, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, is also an attorney for Mangione.)

Prosecutors said they have been in touch with Thompson’s family about developments in the case. Mangione is due back in state court on June 26; he has been charged in a parallel case in New York and pleaded not guilty. His next federal hearing will take place on December 5, at which point US district judge Margaret Garnett will seek to set a trial date. Garnett instructed prosecutors to communicate with Bondi and her subordinates about public commentary on the case in order to ensure that Mangione receives a fair trial.

As reporters and observers walked out of the courtroom, Marc Agnifilo had his arm on Mangione’s shoulder. He smiled a couple of times and appeared to be listening intently.