The Cult of Luigi Mangione, But Social Media’s New Martyr?

Following his arrest, Mangione became a viral sensation. His X (formerly Twitter) following exploded to over 460,000, with hashtags like #FreeLuigi spreading across the platform over 50,000 times. Now, that support has turned into financial backing, with thousands of donors contributing to his legal defense.
His lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, confirmed that he &ldquo;very much appreciates the outpouring of support&rdquo; and has even been responding to messages from jail. Letters of encouragement have flooded his cell&mdash;from all races, political affiliations, and economic backgrounds. The question is: are people supporting the man, or are they using him as a symbol of their own anger toward a system that has failed them?