Fox hosts demonize homeless people in wake of the Brooklyn subway shooting
Brian Kilmeade: “You don't look at them and say that's family of four who couldn't make rent. You look at them and say this guy is nuts”
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From the April 13, 2022, edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends
BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): So, you got this eyewitness who said -- tell me you don't experience this if you go on the subway. I didn't want to look at him. He was muttering to himself. He said this guy must be on drugs. He takes out a gas mask out of his luggage. He opens up the gas tanks and oops, he says, my bad, pulls out an ax. Thankfully he drops the ax, takes out a gun, and starts shooting, and thankfully, very fortunate, the gun jams. It's unbelievable.
AINSLEY EARHARDT (CO-HOST): And amazing that no one was killed.
KILMEADE: Yeah, oh my goodness. It's unbelievable, and then it was stuck at A24 and then according to this eyewitness, it was stuck at that place for five minutes before they actually pulled into the station. I know one minute could be an hour when people are shooting at you and the car is filled with smoke. They also said, some of these people said I tried to get to the other car, but the door was locked in between the subway. Now, did he do that ahead of time? And then the question is if the cameras just didn't work yesterday or earlier because a lot of times if these guys do have a plan, they do it days before. They do some dry runs. Can you look back at cameras on that car in that station and say OK, wait a second, this is the same guy. He is standing there. That would help you put that case together. But I've also been in New York City's headquarters downstairs where you could see every camera in the whole city, and that was eight years ago. Every block. It's not like London, but it's close. And my question is is it something as simple as you look up and you see four blank screens. Did anyone say I think we should fix those cameras? How embarrassing is that that you're in Brooklyn, a beautiful area of Brooklyn and that you -- no one is checking to see if these cameras are working. Isn't that anybody's job?
EARHARDT: Yeah, that should not have happened. There's just been a crime wave that is plaguing our beautiful city and we're all wondering where is New York of two, four years ago?
KILMEADE: Where's Chicago? There's so many cities.
EARHARDT: You're right, and transit crime here has spiked 68% and people yesterday were saying in New York, you know, when you don't want to be pushed in front of a train, you can you sit on the bench and put your back against the wall. But this, you can't prevent this. You can't --
KILMEADE: You're a hostage.
EARHARDT: You are.
STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): And you look at all these images. Where are the transit cops?
EARHARDT: Yeah, and Mayor Adams said he was going put more underground.
DOOCY: I know, they're going to double. Well, they should double because I don't see -- I've looked at a lot of this video. I have not seen one transit cop. So much money is spent on transit cops and cops in New York City and where are --
(UNINTELLIGIBLE)
DOOCY: To the guy's point earlier --
EARHARDT: They're all retiring and leaving, Steve. They don't want to be cops anymore.
(CROSSTALK)
DOOCY: No, I absolutely understand, but Frank James on his videos, and keep in mind, unclear if he is the suspected gunman, he was talking about the homeless problem on the subway. He said, you know, there was no place to sit because the cars were full of homeless people.
EARHARDT: That's true, actually.
DOOCY: So, that was one of the things that motivated him. Is that what -- is he the gunman? Is that what motivated him? Stay tuned there. You know it's an all-points bulletin, everybody trying to find this guy.
KILMEADE: Yeah Mayor de Blasio thought it was a good idea to leave the homeless on the trains and let them become apartment buildings. So the big thing is about the homeless. You don't look at them and say that's family of four who couldn't make rent. You look them and say this guy is nuts, and that's what I see. I'm on the subway four days a week, and I can't tell you how many guys you look at them and you go that is an aggressive person that you do not want to turn your back on, and that's been the case when there was four people in the city in the middle of pandemic and there's the case now that ridership is back up 60%.
EARHARDT: You ride it every day and if you see a homeless person, usually they're lying down asleep on one of the benches inside the subway.
KILMEADE: Or they got that look in their eye like they're about to attack.
EARHARDT: Or they're yelling and screaming and ranting and people are trying not to look at them because you're just scared that you're going to make eye contact and they're going to come after you.