Comments met with outrage online and calls for him to resign

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade suggested using “involuntary lethal injection” to kill homeless people with mental illness during a September 10, 2025 segment of “Fox & Friends”[1]. The comments came during a discussion about the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by a homeless person with schizophrenia in North Carolina[2].

After co-host Lawrence Jones argued that homeless people should be forced to accept help or face jail time, Kilmeade interjected: “Or involuntary lethal injection… or something. Just kill 'em”[3]. His co-hosts briefly acknowledged the comment before continuing their discussion[4].

The remarks sparked widespread condemnation. Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia tweeted: “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”[1:1].

California Governor Gavin Newsom responded by quoting Proverbs 21:13: “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered”[3:1].

  1. The Independent - Fox News’ host Brian Kilmeade says 'just kill ‘em’ about mentally ill homeless people ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Rolling Stone - Fox Host Says to 'Just Kill ‘Em’ While Discussing Homeless People Who Decline Help ↩︎

  3. HuffPost - 'Just Kill ‘Em’: Fox Host Makes Shocking Comment On Homeless People ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Media Matters - Fox News host on mentally ill people who commit crimes: “Just kill them” ↩︎