Brian Kilmeade Apologizes For Racist "Pure Species" Comment

Brian Kilmeade apologized Monday for controversial comments he made on the July 8 episode of "Fox and Friends."

The controversy arose when Kilmeade and his co-hosts were discussing a Swedish and Finnish study which found that married people were less susceptible to Alzheimer's disease than unmarried ones. Kilmeade downplayed the study's significance in America, saying "we [Americans] keep marrying other species and other ethnicities . . . Swedes have pure genes . . . in America we marry everybody..."

The comment prompted an outcry for an apology, including a petition from UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc., which said that Kilmeade's statement was based on "the basest of white supremacist ideologies".

Kilmeade apologized this morning, saying "I made comments that were offensive to many people. That was not my intention, and looking back at those comments I realize they were inappropriate. For that I sincerely apologize. America [is a] huge melting pot, and that is what makes us such a great country..."

WATCH THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT HERE

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Comments

[joceeco]

That was no frakin' apology!

[lmvd3]

OMG!!! Unbelievably inane comments. He needs to spend a little more time away from the klan. Perhaps less time under the hood will help his hair grow back, too.

[DeanMcCallister]

You guys do get that he's the comic relief, right? I know his humour could not be going over your heads...Kilmeade is the "Joey" of Fox and Friends, he is known for making double entendres and silly jokes. That's what this was. A stupid comment about how Swedes tend to marry other swedes, but America, being a nation of immigrants, have a more mixed heritage. He obviously doesn't think Swedes are superior (he is Irish and Italian), it was just an off-hand comment to lighten up the conversation, and was actually mocking the "pureness" of the "Swedes" (what happened to the Finnish?). This is a MORNING show people....not "60 Minutes".
When Olbermann sarcastically calls someone "best person" or "the worst person in the world", we all get that it is a joke and an exaggeration to make a point. Same thing here. GET OVER IT already, sheesh.

[AlejandroJD]

That could be, and I agree this certainly isn't 60 Minutes, but I've seen the clip, and he seemed pretty sincere about it. I didn't detect any notion of it being a joke for him, and I'm not so sure he's that good of an actor...

[DeanMcCallister]

Don't you think his use of the word "species" to describe other nationalities as a hint that he wasn't serious? I'm not saying it was a GOOD joke, just that it was a joke, tasteless as it may be.

This reminds me of the time he "stormed off the set" in mock anger, and people thought he was serious (he wasn't or he wouldn't still be on the show) or people who think that Eminem was surprised when Bruno landed on his head (obviously planned, of all people to land on, and he didn't move out of the way until the camera got its beauty shot?). Kilmeade's not a rascist. A bit dense? Maybe. That's what makes him funny. Like Kathy Lee Gifford.

[WinstonSmith1984]

It took two weeks for him to realize what he said and apologize?!?!?!

Sorry, not buying it. Must have gotten a call from a sponsor, God knows it is only $ that could cause Fox to back off of just one of their many less than subtle racist innuendos

[ConConejo]

Now he just needs to come out of the closet and all will be well.

[Goliadkin]

Go back under your rock and wait for the Apocalypse, Brian. Then you can reveal yourself as the racist, reactionary you are. Phony apology 12 days later means nothing--in fact it is adding a lie on top of the original insult. Contemptible.

[jsw748]

The words out of his mouth were derived from the thoughts in his head. It may not have been his "intention", but it clearly was what he was thinking.

[Free2Speak]

My grandfather told me you're no smarter than the gang you hangout with...

[MrsPeel]

Apology not accepted.

[BIG JOHN]

DUDE SOUNDS JUST LIKE JIMMY THE GREEK.

[BIG JOHN]

OOOOOOOOOOPS, THEIR IT IS.

[Privatepractice]

He made the comment on July 8 and only found time to apologize on July 20?

[dennybop]

Brian Kilmeade, like many other people only apologize after they get into hot water. I believe Kilmeade truly believed what he said, and saw no reason to think it wasn't so. Most of the time these apologies are merely self-serving ways save jobs or prominence. I hope that Mr. Kilmeade has truly seen how ridiculous his notion was and has changed his outlook. In that case I wouldn't even feel a need for the apology.

[losangelesgirl]

i accept his apology. i really don't think he meant what he said this time... his words didn't match what he was thinking, and he got a good beating from everyone for it. watch what you say! especially in that business!

[troika]

The mouth just conveys what is in the brain. He is not someone who misspoke. Anything coming out their mouths is DELIBERATE.

[BushBites]

He would have apologized within the hour if he really meant it.

I'm sure Mr. Murdoch and his Chinese wife let it be known they weren't pleased and now he's just trying to save his job.

[lmvd3]

You're a little naive, aren't you?

[Roz0804]

The sad part is, that's the way they (Fox News) thinks anyway. They keep shouting out this message in all that they report. Sometimes I think that they forget what country they live in. This country has always and will continue to be a country of mixed races and cultures. That is what makes us a great country. Fox New fails to realize this in everything that they report. They continue to live in a world where everything to them is either Black or White. This country is a rainbow of colors.

[SaulBloodworth]

So is Sweden. Obviously you've never been there.

[JustAThought56]

That is an utterly pointless comment.

[Leota2]

I did not see that Roz said ANYTHING about Sweden. Did you read something that disappeared from her post before anyone else read it?