When it comes to morning TV, coffee isn’t usually the most bitter thing on screen. But this week, Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade said something that stopped people cold over their breakfast. During a talk about homelessness and crime, Kilmeade threw out a line that sounded less like casual chat and more like something out of a dark future: “Just kill ’em.”
That was Wednesday. By Saturday, those three words had spread everywhere online. Fox hosts stirring the pot? That’s nothing new. But this time, the backlash hit hard. Media watchdogs called it out. Even California Governor Gavin Newsom weighed in on X (formerly Twitter), quoting a Bible line: “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.”
The segment opened with Fox News hosts Kilmeade, Earhardt, and Jones discussing the North Carolina train stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. The suspect (a man with schizophrenia and a history of arrests) shifted the conversation to America’s struggles with homelessness and untreated mental illness.
Jones argued that many reject available help, framing it simply: accept services or face jail.
Yes, Fox News Host Brian Kilmeade really said this about homeless people: “Involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill ’em.” pic.twitter.com/v62a9dq5V3
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) September 13, 2025
Earhardt agreed on the public safety risks. Kilmeade took a darker turn. Without pause, he suggested “involuntary lethal injection” for such individuals, then dismissed the idea with a shrug: “Just kill ’em.” The words hung in the air, unanswered by his co-hosts.
If the comment was meant as a quick joke, it didn’t land that way. Earhardt and Jones showed little reaction at the time, but online? That was a different story. Media Matters captured the clip, and outrage spread fast across social media.
Critics didn’t see this as just another over-the-top Fox News moment. They called it a dangerous line crossed. Homelessness and mental health struggles already carry heavy stigma and face constant lack of funding and political attention. Suggesting extermination, even as a supposed joke, hit many as deeply cruel and entirely out of touch with reality.
Gavin Newsom’s clapback wasn’t the only thing people noticed. Commentators saw the exchange quickly shift to political blame games. Kilmeade used the moment to slam Democratic leaders like North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper while boosting Republicans. He linked homelessness to crime debates and Senate races, pulling the issue into campaign season talk.
‘Just fire him!’ Observers push Fox to drop host who suggested ‘killing’ homeless people https://t.co/0JxOCXfu2O
— Tuck The Frumpers (@realTuckFrumper) September 13, 2025
Fox News often mixes commentary with stirring the pot.
This moment shows how fast talk can turn extreme. Homeless advocates say this language strips dignity from people already on society’s edges. For those sleeping rough (with little healthcare or support), being called disposable on TV makes life more complicated.
In the days that followed, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade didn’t publicly address his on-air remarks, and the network itself stayed silent. Yet the controversial clip spreads online, pulling in thousands more views daily.
The incident has reignited conversations about how the media covers homelessness.
Advocates argue that reporting should focus less on outrage and more on what actually helps people without housing.
When a TV personality casually floats lethal injections for homeless people, it blurs something fundamental. The difference between shock value and crossing an ethical line grows dangerously faint.
