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Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade endorsed euthanizing unhoused people suffering from mental health issues who decline getting help. He made the remark during a recent episode where his co-hosts Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones were discussing the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
The co-hosts posited that the suspect, who has an extensive criminal record and was diagnosed with a mental illness, should have been removed from the streets long before this tragedy occurred.
Jones noted that the incident was just one instance, and added, “but this is happening all across the country, and it’s not a money issue.” He then claimed that “billions” has been spent on the mental health crisis and for “the homeless population” and that “a lot of them don’t want to take the programs” and “don’t want” to seek out the necessary help.
“You can’t give ‘em a choice,” he continued. “Either you take the resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you gotta be locked up in jail. That’s the way it has to be now.”
Kilmeade then interjected with a disturbingly bonkers suggestion, interrupting Jones to say, “Or uh, involuntary lethal injection. Or something,” Kilmeade said. “Just kill ‘em.” His co-hosts then just glossed right over that shocking comment and continued their conversation.
As Media Matters reported, the segment aired on Wednesday. On Saturday, as the clip went viral, California Gov. Gavin Newsom weighed in with a biblical proverb, posting on social media, “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.”
Kilmeade apologized for the remarks on Sunday. “During that discussion, I wrongly said they should get lethal injections,” he told co-host Lawrence Jones. “I apologize for that extremely callous remark. I’m obviously aware that not all mentally ill homeless people act as the perpetrator did in North Carolina, and that so many people homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion. Lawrence, back to you.”
