Fox News Host Apologizes for Suggesting Lethal Injections for Homeless Individuals with Mental Illness
Brian Kilmeade, co-host of “Fox & Friends,” issued an apology Sunday for comments made the previous week suggesting involuntary lethal injections as a solution for mentally ill homeless individuals. The remarks stemmed from a discussion on the August 22 stabbing death of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The conversation on “Fox & Friends” last Wednesday centered on zarutska’s suspected killer, DeCarlos Brown Jr., who is homeless, has a criminal record, and has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia according to his family. Security footage of the attack circulated widely online, sparking a national debate regarding public safety and criminal sentencing.
During the segment, co-host Laurence Jones noted the significant financial investment in programs designed to assist the homeless and mentally ill, but pointed out that many individuals refuse available help. “A lot of them don’t want to take the programs,” Jones stated. “A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary. You can’t give them the choice. Either you take the resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you’ve got to be locked up in jail.”
Kilmeade then added, “Or involuntary lethal injection or something – just kill ’em.”
A clip of Kilmeade’s statement gained significant traction on the platform X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
addressing the controversy on Sunday’s broadcast, kilmeade said, “I apologize for that extremely callous remark. I am obviously aware that not all mentally ill, homeless people act as the perpetrator did in North Carolina and that so many homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion.”
The comments drew criticism online,with some commentators noting parallels to the Nazi euthanasia program authorized by Adolf Hitler in 1939,which resulted in the deaths of over 250,000 people with mental illness and disabilities.
As of now, Kilmeade has not faced the same consequences as political analyst Matthew Dowd, who was terminated by MSNBC after commenting on the shooting death of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk.Dowd had stated that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” and described kirk as a divisive figure. Following an immediate backlash, Rebecca Kutler, president of MSNBC, apologized and ended her relationship with Dowd. Dowd himself later apologized, stating, “I in no way intended to blame Kirk for this horrendous attack.” Comcast, MSNBC’s parent company, issued a company-wide memo on Friday acknowledging Dowd’s firing and emphasizing the need for betterment.