Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade apologizes for saying mentally ill homeless people should be executed

Cliff Notes

• Controversial Remarks: Brian Kilmeade, host of “Fox & Friends,” faced backlash for suggesting that mentally ill homeless individuals should be executed, which he later termed an “extremely callous” remark during a discussion about a recent murder committed by a homeless man in North Carolina.
• Apology Issued: Following the widespread circulation of his comments, Kilmeade publicly apologised, stating he understands that not all mentally ill, homeless individuals are violent and that many deserve empathy and compassion.
• Calls for Action: Advocacy groups have condemned Kilmeade’s remarks, with a homelessness service provider inviting him to volunteer at their shelters to gain a better perspective on the challenges faced by homeless individuals.

Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade apologises for saying mentally ill homeless people should be executed

Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade in New York.

Fox News Channel host Brian Kilmeade apologized on Sunday for advocating for the execution of mentally ill homeless people in a discussion on the network last week, saying his remark was “extremely callous.”

Kilmeade’s initial comment came on a “Fox & Friends” episode Wednesday and began getting widespread circulation online over the weekend. Kilmeade, a host of the morning show, was talking with co-hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt about the Aug. 22 stabbing murder of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A homeless and mentally ill man, Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested for murder, and the case received extensive attention on Fox following the release of a security video of the stabbing.

Jones was talking on “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday about public money spent on trying to help homeless people and suggested that those who didn’t accept services offered to them should be jailed.

Apology should not be accepted

“Or involuntary lethal injection, or something,” Kilmeade said. “Just kill ‘em.” those were his exact words.

Earhardt interjected, “Why did it have to get to this point?” Kilmeade replied, “I will say this, we’re not voting for the right people.” Which allowed him to deflect from the point.

During an appearance on the “Fox & Friends” weekend show Sunday, Kilmeade said that “I wrongly said they should get lethal injection. I apologise 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.”

Comments like this get people killed

An advocate for homeless people said Sunday that Kilmeade’s remark had been “completely devoid of all humanity.” Christine Quinn, president and CEO of Win, a provider of shelter and services for homeless children in New York City, invited Kilmeade to volunteer in one of the organization’s shelters.

Kilmeade’s initial remark came hours before the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. An MSNBC analyst, Matthew Dowd, was fired for saying on the air that afternoon that hateful rhetoric can lead to hateful actions.