MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Tuesday criticized progressives for “supporting laws that allow homelessness” as he responded to Daniel Penny’s acquittal.

Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran, was acquitted by a Manhattan jury on Monday of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway train last year.

After Neely, a 30-year-old homeless street performer who struggled with mental health issues, allegedly began behaving erratically on a subway car, Penny grabbed him from behind and tied him up in a chokehold for several minutes, according to testimony the floor and video material.

“The fact that some progressives have basically said, let’s pass laws that allow homelessness,” an incredulous Scarborough said on “Morning Joe” Tuesday morning.

“You look at San Francisco, you look at Los Angeles. As we have always said, there is nothing compassionate about it. There’s nothing progressive about leaving people with mental health issues on the streets, no!”

The case divided New York City residents over issues such as mental health issues and race relations.

Dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated outside the courthouse as they awaited the jury’s verdict.

“The mental health system in this country is just woefully inadequate,” Scarborough said. “Whether you talk about New York, whether you talk about Florida, whether you talk about California, there are people walking on the streets who have mental health issues.”

Scarborough argued the U.S. needs to invest more in mental health resources.

“We need to spend more money as a society to look after those who have mental health issues and not just say, yes, you can live on the streets,” he said. “Bad things happen.”

Penny’s acquittal came after more than 20 hours of jury deliberations and the dismissal of a more serious charge of involuntary manslaughter.

During the four-week trial, prosecutors argued that Penny was “criminally reckless” and “went way too far” by holding Neely in a chokehold for about six minutes, even after he appeared to stop moving.

Defense attorneys said Penny was “entirely justified” for holding Neely, who witnesses said frightened passengers.

They also questioned whether there was enough evidence that Neely died from the chokehold, citing his schizophrenia, drug use and a genetic disorder.