Fox News Host Walks Back Comment Saying ‘Just Kill’ Homeless People

Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade has issued an apology after saying violent homeless people should be executed.

Kilmeade made the comment Wednesday, Sept. 10, on Fox & Friends, during a discussion about the murder of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska, 23, who was stabbed to death on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina on Aug. 22.

Surveillance cameras recorded the slaying, as a man with a knife brutally attacked Zarutska while she was seated in a Lynx Blue Line light rail train.

Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the case, according to local news station WBTV. Brown is a mentally ill, homeless man with a lengthy criminal history.

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During a discussion about the case on Fox News, Kilmeade’s co-anchor Lawrence Jones said violent homeless people who refuse to accept mental health treatment should be jailed.

“A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary. You can’t give them a choice,” Jones said.. “Either you take the resources that we’re gonna give you, or you decide that you’re gonna be locked up in jail. That’s the way it has to be.”

Kilmeade chimed in, “Or Involuntary lethal injection or something, or just kill ’em.”

The “kill ’em” comment quickly went viral.

Kilmeade was echoing similar statements made by President Donald Trump that same day.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The animal who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!!”

But the Fox News host is not Trump and he faced swift backlash.

In response, Kilmeade issued an on-air apology Sunday, Sept. 14, on Fox News, and admitted his remark was “extremely callous.”

“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,” Kilmeade said.

He added, “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.”