Mugs, hats, holiday sweaters: CEO shooting merch is for sale online
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Caroline O'Donovan, The Washington Post
Published Dec 10, 2024 • Last updated 22 hours ago • 4 minute read
Even before police identified a person of interest in the hunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, merchandise proclaiming an apparent message that police found at the scene of the shooting began appearing at craft fairs and online shopping platforms.
Pint glasses, wine tumblers, sweatshirts and baseball caps emblazoned with the phrase “Deny, Defend, Depose” – words written on ammunition casings found near where Thompson was shot in midtown Manhattan – popped up on eBay, Etsy, TikTok and Amazon.
The phrase could be a reference to tactics health insurers have used to decline or limit medical claims. The motivations for the killing, in which a 26-year-old, manifesto-carrying suspect named Luigi Mangione was identified on Monday, are unconfirmed.
While it’s unclear how much of the “Deny, Defend, Depose” merchandise was purchased, its spread across online storefronts echoes the swell of anger at health insurance companies and support for the shooter on social media.
Even before much was known about the killer’s motivations or identity, some reacted to the shooting by venting frustrations about health insurance and the U.S. health system.
Amazon removed the merchandise after being reached for comment by The Washington Post. The company said the products violated their guidelines, but declined to specify which. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post.
Online searches for the words “deny defend depose” started climbing Thursday after the ammunition was recovered at the crime scene. By Sunday afternoon, a shopper on Amazon could order a “Deny Defend Depose T-Shirt” that the listing described as related to “Healthcare Insurance Awareness” for $24.55.
A “Vibrant Color Vinyl Detail for Cars” with the three-word slogan was $6.99 and a “United Healthcare Parody Deny Defend Depose Wine Tumbler” described as a gift “For Auntie” was $12.59.
By Monday, all three items, as well as baseball caps and sweatshirts bearing the three words had been removed from the site.
The owner of Chudly.com, a novelty apparel website, told The Post that he sold six “Deny. Defend. Depose.” hats for $24.99 on Amazon before receiving an email Sunday night saying the listing was being taken down.
“It was only up for about 12 hours,” said the owner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety.
The email from Amazon, seen by The Post, said, “We took this action because this product is not permitted for sale on Amazon.com. It is your obligation to make sure the products you offer comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon’s policies.”
Though the email doesn’t specify why the hat isn’t permitted, its designer said he assumes Amazon “labeled it as an offensive product.”
The seller said he had already printed the six hats he sold on Amazon and they are ready to be shipped. His hats were still available on Etsy, a platform for handmade goods, and direct on the website Monday, he said.
Shoppers on Monday afternoon could also find buttons, necklaces and Christmas tree ornaments on Etsy that said “Deny. Defend. Depose.” One sweatshirt with the slogan featured an image of a guillotine.
Also on Monday on TikTok Shop, the video-based social network’s e-commerce feed, a “Deny Defend Depose” shirt with an illustration of a guillotine was discounted as part of the seller’s “Holiday Haul.”
The app also promoted Monday a number of “flash sales” on apparel featuring an illustration of the shooting itself captioned with the phrase, selling for anywhere between $3.42 and $16.90. A holiday sweatshirt reading “‘Tis the Season, Deny. Defend. Depose” picturing reindeer and the scales of justice was also offered.
One of the sweatshirts has sold more than 1,000 times, according to TikTok’s sales data.
The TikTok Shop seller behind the “TheSleepyKuma” store was hawking a “Deny Defend Depose keychain” in the shape of three bullets on Monday for $10.00. “If you knew me at all, you knew these key chains were coming,” the seller said in a short video posted to the site. “Frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t see it coming.”
“My condolences and sympathy is unfortunately not in-network, so you’ll have to meet your deductible first,” the caption on the video said, apparently in reference to common health insurer polices. The seller did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shirts, stickers, mugs, phone cases, and lawn signs reading “Deny Defend Depose” were also available for sale on eBay on Monday.
A spokesperson for eBay, Scott Overland, said in a statement that its policies do not ban the sale of items featuring the phrase “Deny, Defend, Depose.” But “items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited,” he said.
TikTok and Etsy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The phrase “delay, deny, defend” is also the title of a 2010 book about the insurance industry by Rutgers Law professor Jay Feinman. Though the book doesn’t focus on health insurance, paper copies are sold out on Amazon. The title is available on Kindle, while on Monday hard copies were available on eBay for $999 and $1,776.
As of Monday, there were multiple songs titled “Deny, Defend, Depose” available on Amazon and Spotify for streaming.
Merchandise proclaiming apparent message that police found at scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's shooting began appearing online
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