FOX News Host Brian Kilmeade Apologizes After Backlash Over “Lethal Injection” Remark

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade apologized Sunday morning after going viral for saying that homeless people should receive “involuntary lethal injections” Wednesday on Fox and Friends.

The clip, labeled “Brian Kilmeade endorses euthanizing homeless people,” had garnered more than 20 million views on X by Sunday afternoon.

A Fox News anchor saying “Or involuntary lethal injection or something just kill them” about people living on the streets live on air. 
https://x.com/ahouse4all/status/1966549930845368802?s=46&t=DzdMgcAjlH4pEvQAl2TuQw

In the Wednesday segment, Kilmeade and the other hosts were talking about last month’s murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina. The suspect in the killing struggled with mental illness and was living in a homeless shelter, the suspect’s mother told CNN.

Co-host Lawrence Jones said taxpayers have given “billions of dollars to mental health and the homeless population,” but “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.”

“You can’t give them a choice,” Jones continued. “Either you take the resources that we’re going to give you … or you decide that you are going to be locked up in jail. That’s the way it has to be now.”

That’s what prompted Kilmeade to add, “Or involuntary lethal injection or something. Just kill ‘em.”

Apology

“Now during that discussion, I wrongly said they should get lethal injections,” 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.”

Social Media Reacts

The polarizing comment heard around the world mobilized social media users to express their opinions. “I’m not seeing nearly enough calls for Brian Kilmeade to be fired,” an X user wrote.

Another X user thought that the apology lacked depth and even suggest that it disrespected homeless veterans. “Your apology is hollow and you should be fired. There are over 30,000 homeless veterans and you are advocating for them to die by lethal injection.”

“Yesterday morning, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade suggested the solution to homelessness in America is involuntary lethal injection. This is disgusting, inhumane, and reprehensible behavior,” added another X user.