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” ↩︎

  • Rudee@lemmy.ml
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    11 hours ago

    Unfortunately some people have sympathy so selective that unless you can tug on very specific heartstrings, they will never give a damn about other people.

    • hector@lemmy.today
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      10 hours ago

      They are cynically playing the sheep, they have no heartstrings.

      And the sheep are led into an alternate reality where the moral thing is to follow these cynical influencers.

      It did not happen overnight, 30 years of fox working on previous propaganda has step by step brought their sheep to support fascism.

      • plyth@feddit.org
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        10 hours ago

        What if the sheep are also cynical and happily enjoy the benefits while the leaders shield them from blame and bad conscience?

        • hector@lemmy.today
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          10 hours ago

          Then they are cynical influencers too, just less effective ones.

          Half the party faithful might be mostly sheep, half mostly cynical. But that is my guess idk.