Fox News host Brian Kilmeade (pictured) issued a groveling apology after suggesting that individuals struggling with homelessness and mental illness issues should be killed. Kilmeade made the comments Wednesday during a live segment on the network’s flagship talk show Fox and Friends alongside co-hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt.

The trio had been discussing the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska (pictured) who was savagely killed on a train in North Carolina when Kilmeade made the now heavily criticized remark. Jones suggested that people not taking up programs to help those battling mental health and homelessness should be locked up, when Kilmeade went nuclear.

‘Or involuntary lethal or something, just kill them’, he said – with the comment passing by his cohosts who looked completely unfazed by the remark. But during Sunday’s episode of Fox and Friends, Kilmeade confessed his remark was ‘extremely callous’. ‘We were discussing the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina and how to stop these kinds of attacks by homeless, mentally ill assailants, including institutionalizing or jailing such people so they cannot attack again,’ he said.

‘Now during that discussion, I wrongly said they should get lethal injections. I apologize for that extremely callous remark. I am 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.’

Following his initial, controversial statement, Earhardt stated: ‘Yeah, Brian, why did it have to get to this point?’, failing to comment on his suggestion. Kilmeade then proceeded to say that cities with large homeless populations were voting for the wrong leaders, urging those in North Carolina to ‘wake up’. Zarutska was murdered in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22 after being stabbed in the neck, suspect Decarlos Brown is accused of killing her.

Her death has sparked outrage amongst Republican lawmakers due to Charlotte being a Democrat-led city. Kilmeade added: ‘You can’t put — keep putting these people in power. They woke up in Los Angeles, they got a stronger D.A. ‘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 then called on people in North Carolina to vote for Republican Michael Whatley in the 2026 Senate race. The clip of their conversation has since gone viral, with Kilmeade being heavily criticized for the comment.

California Governor Gavin Newsom even reacted to the clip, quoting a bible reference in a post to his X. He posted: ‘Proverbs 21:13: Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.’ Virginia Rep. Don Beyer added: ‘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.’

Another user added: ‘I’m at a loss of words. So many Vets live in 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.’ Sarah Longwell, the founder of publisher of conservative site The Bulwark chimed in also, posting: ‘My god. What is happening?’ Daily Mail has approached Fox News for comment on Kilmeade’s remarks.