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America is in a dark place right now, and comments made on Fox News this past weekend show just how far things have sunk. On Sunday, host Brian Kilmeade stunned viewers by suggesting that the government should “just kill” homeless people who refuse help. His method of choice? “Involuntary lethal injection.”
The remark came during a heated segment where a guest argued that billions of dollars are spent on mental health and homelessness, but that many unhoused people “don’t want the help that is necessary.” The guest suggested an ultimatum: either accept the resources being offered or go to jail. That’s when Kilmeade interrupted with his shocking idea of simply executing people who don’t comply.
Unsurprisingly, the reaction online was one of anger and disgust. On X, users called out both the cruelty and hypocrisy. One wrote, “Brian Kilmeade: Pro-life but also, let’s kill homeless people.” Another pointed out the contradiction with Christianity, asking what Jesus would do in this situation. Others kept it simple, calling the comment “disgusting.”
The comparison to Nazi Germany came up quickly as well. In the 1940s, the regime began its atrocities by targeting the mentally ill, using carbon monoxide to kill them under the guise of “cleansing society.” Kilmeade’s comment, while likely intended to shock or provoke, carried chilling echoes of that dark history.
This raises a serious question: how much further does the United States need to go before people call this rhetoric what it really is? Some dismiss comparisons to fascist regimes as exaggeration, but the danger lies in normalizing such language. If we accept talk of exterminating the homeless today, what will be accepted tomorrow?
Calls for Kilmeade to be fired came swiftly. Critics pointed out that other media figures have lost their jobs for less, and that holding a prime-time platform should come with responsibility. Kilmeade has since apologized, but many argue that the apology changes nothing, the comment revealed his actual views, and those views are unacceptable.
For now, it appears Fox News will not take action against him. That means Kilmeade keeps his seat, despite openly calling for the execution of people whose only crime is being homeless.