Brian Kilmeade’s off-the-cuff suggestion to “just kill ’em” when talking about mentally ill homeless people has put Fox News in the hottest water it’s faced since its last big ad-buyer revolt, and industry history shows the bill for this kind of blowback can soar into eight figures.
The Fox & Friends co-host made the incendiary remark while discussing the August stabbing death of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train. After co-host Lawrence Jones argued that some people who refuse services should be jailed, Kilmeade added, “Or involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill ’em.” He’s since apologized on air, calling his words “extremely callous.”
Jimmy Kimmel basically just lost his job for saying Charlie Kirk’s killer was MAGA.
Just a few days ago, here’s Brian Kilmeade of Fox News saying homeless people should be killed:
He still has his job:— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) September 18, 2025
The fallout was instant, outrage from advocates and calls for Fox to show him the door. The National Alliance to End Homelessness publicly demanded Kilmeade’s firing, blasting the comment as “deeply dangerous.”
Meanwhile, North Carolina lawmakers moved with unusual speed after Zarutska’s killing, advancing a sweeping package that tightens pre-trial release rules, seeks more mental-health evaluations, and even tees up a path to resume executions in the state, signaling just how politically explosive the case has become.
If there’s one thing Fox executives know, it’s that advertiser skittishness can mean real money, fast. Past boycotts of lightning-rod hosts have bled revenue and cut commercial loads, even when Fox said it could shift ads elsewhere. In 2018, Laura Ingraham’s show saw ad time slashed by as much as half and prices fall after major sponsors bailed, analysts tallied multi-million-dollar hits. Tucker Carlson’s hour lost scores of advertisers over time and saw ad dollars plunge, despite his monster ratings. These are precisely the kinds of precedent that make media buyers nervous, and nervous buyers don’t spend.
Last week, Fox News Host Brian Kilmeade said we needed to kill 700,000 Americans by involuntary lethal injection.
Today Fox News Host Jesse Watters said we need to “Bomb” the UN Building in New York City.
Yes, Fox News suggested bombing a building on U.S. soil.
A building full… pic.twitter.com/xtNKYVmyKR— Not Your Average Liberal (@NotAvgLiberal) September 24, 2025
To put rough scale on it, Carlson’s single hour reportedly booked around $77.5 million in ad revenue in 2022, even a modest retreat or price haircut in a flagship block can quickly stack into eight-figure territory across a quarter. Trade coverage has likewise estimated combined advertiser losses in earlier Fox flare-ups at more than $18 million. That’s why PR and ad-buying pros say controversies like this can snowball into “tens of millions” when brands head for the exits or CPMs get discounted.
Brian Kilmeade: “Kimmel’s comments went way too far.”
This from the guy who, just days ago on live TV, called for homeless people to be murdered. You can’t make this up.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) September 18, 2025
Kilmeade’s apology, “I wrongly said they should get lethal injection,” may soothe some nerves, but the pairing of homelessness and mental illness is especially radioactive for mainstream brands. It’s the kind of topic where marketers have zero tolerance for association, no matter the ratings. If advertisers pause, scatter to other shows, or press for make-goods at lower rates, Fox eats the difference. The reputational dent can linger even after the news cycle moves on, keeping premium advertisers away and pushing replacement spots to lower-yield categories.
Fox can try the usual playbook, shift ads around the grid, lean on loyal categories, wait it out, but recent history shows controversies of this type rarely pass without a bill. With advocacy groups mobilized and lawmakers elevating Zarutska’s case into policy, the commercial risk is larger than a one-day Twitter storm. Whether or not Kilmeade keeps his seat, the financial damage meter is already ticking, and based on past Fox ad disruptions, the tab could reach well into the multi-millions if skittish brands stay away.
