Topline
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade apologized Sunday for suggesting the government should “just kill” homeless people who refuse government resources, after he was blasted over the comments he made this week in a “Fox & Friends” discussion surrounding the ongoing controversy over the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Brian Kilmeade was discussing the aftermath of the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina.
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Key Facts
Kilmeade said Sunday his remarks were “extremely callous” and he “wrongly said they should get lethal injections” during his “Fox & Friends” segment aired on Wednesday.
“I’m 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,” Kilmeade said Sunday.
Zarutska’s murder has become a major culture war issue for conservatives highlighting crime in major cities, as the Trump administration prepares to target Memphis, Tennessee, with federal resources for another crackdown on crime.
Kilmeade’s comments blew up on social media over the weekend drawing criticism from lawmakers and commentators—former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., called the comments “sick,” while Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and California Gov. Gavin Newsom both referenced Bible passages.
What Did Kilmeade Say Last Week?
Kilmeade, one of the hosts of Fox News’ morning show “Fox & Friends,” discussed Zarutka’s murder last Wednesday alongside hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt. “Put them in a mental institution. Put them in a jail. You got to figure it out,” Jones said, referring to mentally ill homeless people like Zarutska’s suspected killer Decarlos Brown Jr. Later, Jones claimed “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, either you take the resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you’re going to be locked up in jail. That’s the way it’s going to be now.” Kilmeade quickly agreed with Jones, but escalated the consequences. “Or involuntary lethal injection or something. Just kill them,” the Fox host said. Kilmeade went on to insist that Americans were “not voting for the right people,” giving examples including progressive prosecutors like the now-recalled district attorney Chesa Boudin in San Francisco, former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon and current Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Key Background
Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed in an unprovoked attack on a commuter rail in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August. Brown, 34, was charged with first-degree murder at the state level. Brown had 14 prior arrests and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, his mother told the Charlotte Observer. Graphic surveillance footage of Zarutska’s stabbing circulated widely on social media, causing an uproar from conservatives, including President Donald Trump, who has focused on law and order issues in the past few months with significant moves like deploying the National Guard and federal law enforcement to Washington, D.C. Brown was later hit with federal charges for committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, weeks later after his arrest. Last Wednesday, Trump called for Brown to face the death penalty.