Washington (EFE).- The brutal killing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, is being used by United States President Donald Trump to push for tougher crime policies and to justify sending federal and military forces into Democrat-led cities, which he accuses of leniency on crime.
On Aug. 22, Irina Zarutska, who fled Ukraine three years ago, boarded Charlotte’s light rail after finishing her shift at a pizzeria.
Surveillance footage shows her scrolling through her phone as a man sat behind her.
Moments later, the man, identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, with at least 14 prior arrests for assault and armed robbery, pulled a folding knife and stabbed her three times, including once in the neck.
The attacker walked away as Zarutska collapsed, bleeding heavily. She died on the train.
Two weeks later, the disturbing footage spread beyond North Carolina, catching the attention of the White House.
On Aug. 23, state prosecutors charged Brown with first-degree murder. On Sep. 8, the Department of Justice added federal charges for committing a deadly act on public transportation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case was evidence of failed Democratic policies.
“Irina Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream. Her horrible murder is the direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that prioritize criminals over the innocent,” she declared.
Trump points to “law and order”
On Sep. 7, Trump addressed the case for the first time on Truth Social after conservative outlets gave it headline coverage.
“I saw the horrible video of a beautiful young Ukrainian refugee ambushed on the train in Charlotte. Her blood is on the hands of Democrats who refuse to jail bad people,” Trump wrote.
He emphasized that Brown had been released “14 times” and said “only Republicans” could ensure law and order.
Trump also blamed former North Carolina Democratic governor Roy Cooper for supporting cashless bail reforms inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Those measures, Trump argued, kept dangerous offenders free. He reminded followers that he overturned cashless bail in Washington, DC, weeks earlier.
On Wednesday, Trump went further, urging that Brown face “only the death penalty.” Bondi confirmed that capital punishment “is on the table.”
Debate over militarization
Critics accuse Trump of politicizing the crime to justify deploying the National Guard and federal agents in cities such as Washington, Los Angeles, and Chicago against the wishes of local governments.
Republican Congressman Mark Harris of North Carolina called Charlotte “a microcosm of a national epidemic of uncontrolled crime.”
Figures on the far right, including tech magnate Elon Musk, accused the media of bias. Musk argued outlets “amplified George Floyd’s case” in 2020 but “ignored Zarutska because she was white.”
Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller and FBI Director Kash Patel defended the administration’s stance, saying cases like Zarutska’s prove the need for federal crackdowns.
Miller linked the tragedy to Trump’s broader strategy: “This is exactly why the Guard is in Chicago and why operations will intensify, including more migrant arrests.”
As protests grow against militarization, Trump is doubling down on his pledge to extend deployments across Democrat-led cities, framing Zarutska’s murder as proof that, in his words, “America needs law and order, and only Republicans can deliver it.” EFE
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