Fox News host Brian Kilmeade attends New York’s 79th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on October 17, 2024. Photo by Ted Shaffrey/AP/File.
As mentioned by CNN
After Fox News host Brian Kilmeade’s highly controversial remarks about mentally ill homeless people on social media, a wave of criticism erupted, and he apologized on Sunday for the extremely contemptuous remark.
At first he said “just kill them” during a discussion on the Fox & Friends morning show; the clip quickly went viral, appearing on various social networks and drawing critics’ attention.
A clip titled “Brian Kilmeade Supports the Euthanization of the Homeless” has amassed over 20 million views on X as of Sunday.
Users called on Fox News, which typically responds to such incidents with restraint, to take clear action and respond to his remarks.
Following that, discussions continued: on Wednesday they discussed the murder case of Irina Zarutska in Charlotte, where, according to the mother, the suspect had mental health issues and lived in a homeless shelter.
“Either a forced lethal injection or something like that. Just kill them.”
Reaction and Consequences
Co-host Lawrence Jones noted that taxpayers spend billions of dollars on mental health and homelessness, but many people do not want to participate in programs and do not seek help.
“You can’t give them a choice… either you take the resources we provide, or you decide that they will end up in prison. That’s how it has to be right now,” Jones added.
In response to these discussions Kilmeade also added: “Either a forced lethal injection or something like that. Just kill them.”
After the clip went viral, politicians weighed in on his remarks. For instance, California Governor Gavin Newsom quoted a proverb: “Who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself cry out – and there will be no answer.”
“Who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself cry out – and there will be no answer.”
Christine Quinn, the CEO of WIN, which runs shelters and interim housing in New York, described Kilmeade’s rhetoric as “completely devoid of humanity” and said it “only divides and inflames” tensions.
In a statement she expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with Kilmeade and added that “you can also come volunteer at one of our shelters and see homelessness for yourself – help is always needed.”
Kilmeade appeared remotely on the Sunday edition of Fox & Friends Weekend, and Jones handed him the floor, underscoring that he should “work on himself.”
“I apologize for that incredibly heartless remark. I obviously realize that not all mentally ill, homeless people act the way that criminal did in North Carolina, and that many homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion.”
Fox News also issued an apology on its website, noting that Kilmeade “acknowledges the mistake.”
A spokesperson for Fox News did not respond to requests for comment from the publication.
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