‘Free Luigi!’ Bill Burr Blasts CNN and Fox News Focusing On ‘Looting’ And Not Insurance Payout Shortfall After LA Wildfires
Comedian Bill Burr blasted “CNN and Fox News” for focusing on “looting” while reporting on the Los Angeles wildfires but failing to report on home insurance companies who canceled policies or only covering $20 billion of the $135 billion in estimated losses.
As wildfires continue, homeowners in LA are grappling with a worsening insurance crisis as the staggering economic toll of the damage becomes more clear. With estimated losses of $135 billion, insurers are only expected to cover only $20 billion leaving a $115 billion shortfall, according to JPMorgan Chase.
Added to this some insurers abruptly dropped policies last year. State Farm, one of California’s largest insurers, faced backlash after canceling fire coverage for thousands of Pacific Palisades residents last summer to stave off financial collapse. The company stopped accepting new homeowners’ insurance applications in 2023 and later dropped 72,000 policies statewide, citing the rising frequency and severity of wildfires.
Burr appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday and revealed how the fires had impacted him. Quickly, the conversation turned to how the media was reporting.
You know, it was, like, the perfect awful thing that could have happened, and it did. And I love how all the chatter out there is about bands of illegal immigrants and homeless people lighting fires. They light fires every day, they’re living outside, they’re fucking cold.
And this theory that some homeless guy without a car went from Altadena all the way to the Pacific Palisades, he have a hang glider?
You know, and they’re talking about looting, but CNN and Fox News are not going to bring up the insurance companies that will just keep everybody’s premiums and still give themselves a bonus.
As the audience applauded his point, the comedian provocatively referenced Luigi Mangione, the man identified as the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Mangione pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
The murder prompted calls for health insurance industry reform and the practice of denying claims.
Making a joking comparison to those frustrations, Burr called to the audience: “Yes! Free Luigi!”
Continuing to speak of the frustration around insurance companies and the shooting, he added: “I love how they acted surprised. Why did that happen? I have no idea — he wrote on the bullets why it happened.”
Watch above via ABC.
