“Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade apologized in the wake of comments he made that individuals experiencing homelessness with mental illness should get “involuntary lethal injection.” Kilmeade made the remark on Wednesday, Sept. 10, alongside co-hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt as they were discussing the killing of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed aboard a train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Controversial remarks
“A lot of them don’t want to take the programs. A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary,” Jones said. “You can’t give them a choice. Either you take the resources that we’re gonna give you, or you decide that you’re going to be locked up in jail. That’s the way it has to be now.”
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Kilmeade interjected, “Or, involuntary lethal injections — or something. Just kill them.”
On-air apology
Kilmeade issued an on-air apology on Sunday.
“We were discussing the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte and how to stop these kinds of attacks by homeless, mentally ill assailants, including institutionalizing or jailing people so they cannot attack again,” Kilmeade said.
“Now during the discussion, I wrongly said they should get lethal injections. I apologize for that extremely callous remark,” he said. “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 slaying of Iryna Zarutska
Zarutska was killed late last month.
President Donald Trump has demanded the death penalty for the suspect in the case, Decarlos Brown Jr., who police said fatally stabbed Zarutska on Aug. 22. Brown is an unhoused individual with mental health problems and a pre-existing criminal record that includes robbery and assault.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed federal charges in the case last week.
Fox News said that Kilmeade’s on-air apology also serves as the network’s statement on the remarks made on Sunday.
Controversial comments after Charlie Kirk’s killing
Kilmeade’s apology also followed the assassination of Charlie Kirk last week.
MSNBC cut ties with contributor Matthew Dowd, who served as a political strategist under former President George W. Bush, after comments made after the news outlet had learned of Kirk’s shooting but before Kirk’s death was confirmed.
“He’s been one of the most divisive — especially divisive — younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech aimed at certain groups,” Dowd said of Kirk. “And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”
Dowd issued an apology, but MSNBC announced that same day that it had terminated its relationship with the political commentator.
In contrast to MSNBC, Fox News has not yet issued any public statement indicating that it will formally cut ties with Brian Kilmeade.
