Bill Burr isn’t backing down from supporting Luigi Mangione.
A clip making the rounds from the 2025 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony captures a reporter challenging the comedian about his advocacy for Mangione and his “Free Luigi” statement earlier this year.
“I don’t think you read up on it because I said what I felt about it, and I said what a lot of people said,” Burr fired back. He then refused to help her manufacture “some controversial moment so [she] can get clicks.”
“I’m here for Conan,” he emphasized, referring to his friend being celebrated at the event. “I’m not doing all of this. What are you gonna bring up next? The Middle East? I went to summer school three out of four years in high school. I’m not qualified to talk about this.”
More reporters then chimed in, asking Burr about other current affairs, including the relationship between Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
“I don’t watch the news!” he shot back. “I have no idea what’s going on.” He then shared that he spends his time watching funny clips online and lacks the credentials to discuss political matters.
“I don’t think you should be asking a comedian. You’re a journalist,” he pointed out. “You guys used to have balls. You need to get your balls back. And it’s not my job. I am a dancing clown.”
In January, Burr appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s show where they talked about Los Angeles wildfires and how health insurance companies benefit from natural disasters. The conversation then moved from home insurance to health insurance as Burr declared, “Free Luigi!”
He repeated this view in a Variety interview that same month, expressing doubt that CEOs learned anything since Thompson was killed.
“The funny thing when that CEO got whacked was watching CEOs have to be uncomfortable,” he remarked. “I’m sure they didn’t learn anything, but it’s like: This is how you make everybody feel day to day as you apply pressure because ‘that’s how business is done.’ How you leave this burning wreckage of destroyed lives as you ‘restructure’ and ‘consolidate.’ It was fun to see them worry.”
Mangione has entered a not guilty plea to multiple state and federal charges related to Thompson’s murder. Earlier this week, the attorney general recommended prosecutors pursue the death penalty for the 26-year-old.
Bill Burr isn’t backing down from his support of Luigi Mangione. A trending clip from the 2025 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony captures a reporter challenging the comedian about championing Mangione and his “Free Luigi” declaration earlier this year. “I don’t think you read up on it because I said what I felt about it, and I said what a lot of people said,” Burr fired back. He then refused to help her manufacture “some controversial moment so [she can get clicks.” ] “I’m here for Conan,” he emphasized, referring to his friend being celebrated at the event. “I’m not doing all of this. What are you gonna bring up next? The Middle East? I went to summer school three out of four years in high school. I’m not qualified to talk about this.”
More reporters then piled on, questioning Burr about other hot topics, including the relationship between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. “I don’t watch the news!” he shot back. “I have no idea what’s going on.” He then revealed that he spends his time watching funny clips online and lacks the credentials to discuss political matters. “I don’t think you should be asking a comedian. You’re a journalist,” he pointed out. “You guys used to have balls. You need to get your balls back. And it’s not my job. I am a dancing clown.” In January, Burr appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s show where they discussed Los Angeles wildfires and how health insurance companies cash in on natural disasters. The conversation then drifted from home insurance to health insurance as Burr declared, “Free Luigi!”
He doubled down on this stance in a Variety interview that same month, expressing doubt that CEOs learned anything since Thompson was killed. “The funny thing when that CEO got whacked was watching CEOs have to be uncomfortable,” he remarked. “I’m sure they didn’t learn anything, but it’s like: This is how you make everybody feel day to day as you apply pressure because ‘that’s how business is done.’ How you leave this burning wreckage of destroyed lives as you ‘restructure’ and ‘consolidate.’ It was fun to see them worry.” Mangione has entered a not guilty plea to multiple state and federal charges related to Thompson’s murder. Earlier this week, the attorney general recommended prosecutors pursue the death penalty for the 26-year-old.
