'Just kill them': Outrage over Fox host Brian Kilmeade's chilling solution for homeless and mentally ill

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: What was supposed to be a standard panel on 'Fox & Friends' raised eyebrows this week when co-host Brian Kilmeade suggested on live national TV that people grappling with homelessness and mental illness should be killed.

Kilmeade, appearing Wednesday alongside co-hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt, was discussing the brutal stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. Zarutska was murdered in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22 after being stabbed in the neck. Suspect DeCarlos Brown has been accused of the killing.

Brian Kilmeade sparks controversy with 'wake up' call

When Jones said people who refuse help for mental-health and homelessness issues should be locked up, Kilmeade pushed further. “Or involuntary lethal or something, just kill them,” he said. Earhardt looked stunned but added, “Yeah, Brian, why did it have to get to this point?” without directly addressing his proposal.

Kilmeade then pivoted from the disturbing remark to argue that cities with large homeless populations are electing the wrong leaders, urging North Carolinians to “wake up.”

“You can't keep putting these people in power. They woke up in Los Angeles, they got a stronger DA. They woke up, and they got rid of Chesa Boudin in San Francisco. Hopefully, they will get rid of this terrible guy, Alvin Bragg, in New York," he said.

He later called on viewers to back Republican Michael Whatley in the 2026 Senate race in North Carolina.

Outrage from politicians and social media over Brian Kilmeade's remarks

California Governor Gavin Newsom weighed in, quoting scripture in response. “Proverbs 21:13: Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered," he wrote.

Virginia Rep Don Beyer blasted the hosts for entertaining state-sanctioned killing. “America’s homeless population includes over a million children and tens of thousands of veterans, many of whom served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Nobody deserves to be murdered by the government for mental illness or poverty. These Fox hosts are calling for mass murder—it’s sick," he said.

Critics on social media also responded with outrage.

"Brian Kilmeade just casually thinks murdering people is a solution. Not healthcare, not housing, not services, death. This isn’t news commentary, it’s stochastic terrorism," one user posted on X.

"As a Republican, I am disgusted and appalled at Brian Kilmeade of Fox News, who suggested the way to handle homelessness is 'involuntary lethal injection or something...just kill them.' Co-host Lawrence Jones suggests 'put 'em in jail and you guys figure it out.' Fox News, might be time for Lawrence and Brian to take a vacation," another wrote.

"@FoxNews @foxandfriends you’re gonna fire him, right? Straight up if you do not fire him, you have no backbone. Explicitly stating we should lethally inject homeless people 'or just kill them'???? Fk you Brian Kilmeade. Why don’t YOU take your own advice Nazi fking scum," someone else fumed.

"I’m at a loss for words. So many vets live on our streets and the answer is to euthanize them? My dad is a Vietnam vet and many of his friends still deal with PTSD. Hearing this truly breaks my heart," another lamented.

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