A top aide to D.C. mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George drew attention after posting support for Luigi Mangione shortly after his arrest in the alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Makia Green, a longtime adviser to George and now the political director for her campaign, posted on Threads on Dec. 11, 2024, “Comment when you see this #freeluigi and pardon the youth!”
Mangione had been arrested two days earlier at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a five-day, multistate search. Authorities accused the 28-year-old of fatally shooting Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk.
Green later shared a list on Threads titled “Things that piss me off,” which included “United health care.” She also posted a video of herself making an obscene gesture at the company while criticizing it for what she described as difficulty connecting with a primary-care physician.
Mangione’s case has generated an unusual and disturbing online following, with some critics of the health-care industry portraying him as a folk-hero figure despite the seriousness of the allegations. Some local chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America, whose national organization has endorsed George, have also faced scrutiny for statements that did not condemn Thompson’s killing.
Mangione is scheduled to go on trial Sept. 8 and could face life in prison if convicted.
One D.C. Democratic insider described Green as a “close confidant” of George and argued that her posts raise questions about the political views being elevated inside the campaign. The insider also said Green’s senior campaign role could position her for an influential job in city government if George wins the mayoral race.
Green, a D.C. activist, founded the prison-abolitionist nonprofit Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and previously helped George campaign for the Ward 4 seat on the D.C. Council. George ran then on a platform that included shifting money away from policing and toward violence-interruption programs.
In October 2019, George wrote on X, then known as Twitter, “I will absolutely divest from [D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department] and put that money into violence interruption programs. Full stop.”
Green has also spoken openly about her own political goals. In a May 2021 interview with The Forge, she said, “My goal is to build more prison abolitionists, to build more supporters of Defund MPD.”
Green has separately faced criticism for past social media posts about Israel and Hamas. Jewish Insider reported that she shared posts that downplayed Hamas’ actions and referred to Israel as an “imaginary state.” Her X account was later made private.
George has tried to present a more public-safety-focused message during the mayoral race. Her campaign’s public-safety plan calls for expanding enrollment in the police department’s cadet program and providing more resources to detectives to help solve crimes.
Still, her past positions remain a point of tension in the race. During an April debate with Democratic primary opponent Kenyan McDuffie, George criticized the deployment of National Guard troops to the city, saying it created “a very real risk of harm” to “our Black youth in this city and to all of our families in this city.”
McDuffie has backed stricter curfews in response to youth-related disturbances, including “teen takeovers” that have led to fights in parts of the city. George has rejected curfews as a solution.
A Washington Post-Schar School poll conducted from May 27 to June 1 found George leading McDuffie 36% to 25%, with the rest of the field polling below 5%.
