‘They deserve our empathy’: Brian Kilmeade apologizes after saying mentally ill homeless people should be ‘killed’

Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade has apologized after facing backlash over his comment about homeless people, acknowledging that he made a “callous remark.”

Published on: Sep 15, 2025, 10:46:39 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade has apologized after facing backlash over his comment about homeless people. While discussing the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by a schizophrenic homeless man named Decarlos Brown Jr, Kilmeade suggested that homeless people with mental health issues who refuse treatment should be killed. He made the comment during a conversation with his fellow co-hosts – Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones.

Brian Kilmeade apologizes

Kilmeade has apologized on the show after being criticized for his remarks. “Alright, Brian you have something else that you’d like to say,” Jones asked Kilmeade.

Kilmeade replied, “Yeah, and it actually happened when we were together on Wednesday, Lawrence. In the morning, we were discussing the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina and how to stop these kinds of attacks by homeless, mentally ill assailants, including institutionalizing or jailing such people so they cannot attack again. Now during that discussion, I wrongly said they should get lethal injections. 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.”

Brian Kilmeade’s previous remarks

During a previous discussion, The Fox & Friends hosts agreed that Brown should not have been let loose on the streets. He was arrested several times in the past.

“You can’t give ’em a choice,” Jones said. “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.”

“Or uh, involuntary lethal injection. Or something. Just kill ’em,” Kilmeade said.

The clip of the comment went viral on social media, with Netizens condemning Kilmeade for his reaction.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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