The audience of Saturday Night Live shocked Colin Jost as they burst into cheers at the mere mention of Luigi Mangione.
Jost initiated his comedic news recap on SNL’s Weekend Update alongside co-host Michael Che, but he found himself taken aback by the reaction following his mention of the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s suspected killer.
In a surprising turn, upon Jost saying ‘Luigi Mangione’ and his image appearing on the screen behind him, the audience at SNL burst into applause and enthusiastic cheers.
Jost appeared to be caught off-guard and slightly surprised as he looked out at the crowd.
With a hint of confusion, he said: ‘Yeah… definitely woo.’
‘You’re wooing for justice, right?’ he said with an awkward laugh.
The comedian carried on discussing Mangione’s extradition to New York’s Rikers Island, followed by saying, ‘In related news, Bumble exploded.’
The moment didn’t go unnoticed online either, with viewers flocking to X to see if anyone else caught the crowd’s response.
One person said: ‘The #SNL crowd loudly cheered for Luigi omg.’
Colin Jost side-eyed the crowd when the mere mention of Luigi Mangione’s name spurred rapacious applause
He then glanced to the left with a somewhat horrified smirk, seemingly taken aback by the supportive stance
The SNL audience’s lively response to Luigi Mangione’s name caught Jost off guard, prompting him to humorously comment, ‘You’re wooing for justice, right?’
‘Colin Jost just mentioned Luigi’s name on SNL and it got a rousing applause, to which Jost looked shocked and appalled, and said, with visible disdain, “you’re wooing for justice right?”
‘ …yeah, Colin. Totally,’ wrote one.
‘THE LUIGI CHEERING. IM CTFU,’ said another.
‘Colin being surprised at everyone cheering upon the mention of Luigi Mangione,’ said another.
‘WHO IN THE AUDIENCE JUST WOOED FOR LUIGI?!?!??’ said one.
‘I love the cheers when Colin said Luigi’s name. The audience understood the assignment,’ said another.
While some users were all for the cheers, others found the moment disturbing.
‘The crowd cheering loud as hell for Luigi Mangione on SNL I know that’s right.’
Jost began co-anchoring SNL’s ‘Weekend Update’ news parody in 2014 with co-anchor Michael Che
‘SNL Weekend Update mentioning Luigi Mangione and the whole audience screaming with applause. Weird and unsettling.’
‘The audience’s swoon screams for Luigi Mangione was so cringe,’ said another.
For the past few weeks, the nation’s attention has been focused on the ‘heartthrob’ 26-year-old Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione, identified by police as who they believe who shot Thompson dead in New York City earlier this month.
Mangione was hit with another charge of murder as an act of terrorism just earlier this week as he was being transferred to a New York prison.
The accused killer, despite his charges, has been the apple of social media’s eye as thousands of ‘fans’ have made edits, fan accounts and glorified Mangione, even dubbing him a ‘hero.’
While the death penalty has been outlawed in New York for decades, the federal charges against Mangione, 26, could mean he’s sent to death row, though prosecutors have not said whether they will seek the death penalty in the case.
‘Colin Jost just mentioned Luigi’s name on SNL and it got a rousing applause, to which Jost looked shocked and appalled, and said, with visible disdain, “you’re wooing for justice right?” ‘ …yeah, Colin. Totally,’ wrote one user
News that Mangione could face the death penalty has only heightened fascination with the alleged killer, with people posting fan art that depicts him as a religious figure.
Many online are claiming Mangione is facing worse punishment that hardened criminals and school shooters, speculating that the government wants to make an example out of him and prevent some sort of revolt against corporate America.
One X post read: ‘They wanna give Luigi Mangione the death penalty. That’s the only reason they making him face federal charges.
‘They literally wanna kill him for daring to threaten capitalism and corporate greed. They don’t even do this to school shooters.’
Mangione, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested on December 9 when police were called to a McDonald’s restaurant on a commercial strip in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was reported to match the description of Thompson’s killer.
Thompson was gunned down on the street as he walked to the hotel where his Minnesota-based company was holding an investor conference.
The shooting was captured on security video, but the suspect eluded police before Mangione was captured about 277 miles west of New York.
Authorities say Mangione was carrying the gun used to kill Thompson, a passport, a fake ID and about $10,000 in U.S. and foreign currency.
