Overview

• Kilmeade apologized on Sept. 14 for suggesting “involuntary lethal injection” for mentally ill homeless people, calling his remark “extremely callous.”
• His comment came during a Sept. 10 Fox & Friends discussion of the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, after co-host Lawrence Jones argued such individuals who refuse treatment should be jailed.
• The clip went viral over the weekend and drew condemnation from media figures and Democratic officials, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
• MSNBC and USA TODAY opinion pieces argue the apology falls short and characterize the remark as dehumanizing and a violation of basic rights.
• Associated Press reporting cited in the coverage notes the accused had a schizophrenia diagnosis and that his mother sought his involuntary commitment earlier this year, a detail commentators say underscores systemic failings in mental-health care.