Bondi slams Democrats for not standing for Iryna Zarutska, calls it 'heartbreaking'
WASHINGTON, DC: Attorney General Pam Bondi sharply criticized Democratic lawmakers for largely remaining seated during a tribute to the family of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska at Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed last summer while riding a Charlotte light rail train, a crime that has drawn national attention and condemnation.
Bondi condemned what she called a lack of bipartisan respect for Zarutska’s memory and contrasted the response with Republican support for seeking the death penalty against the accused.
Bondi blasts Democratic lawmakers’ reaction
Bondi said Democrats’ refusal to stand and applaud after Zarutska’s mother, Anna Zarutska, was recognized in the House chamber Tuesday night was “heartbreaking.” “They would not stand, the Democrats, for that beautiful young woman, Iryna Zarutska, who was killed, who was murdered on the subway,” Bondi said on Fox & Friends.
.@AGPamBondi: "They would not stand, the Democrats, for that beautiful young woman, Iryna Zarutska, who was killed, who was murdered on the subway — and here's the contrast: we are prosecuting the guy—the monster—and we are seeking the death penalty." pic.twitter.com/T2E3O6bMFe
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 25, 2026
“We are prosecuting the guy, the monster, and we are seeking the death penalty. That’s the stark contrast between Donald Trump and] Republicans and the Democrats. They refuse to even stand for that victim,” she added.
Zarutska, originally from Ukraine, was stabbed to death on August 22 while riding a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trump highlighted her story during his State of the Union address, and her mother was present in the chamber as he spoke about her daughter’s death and vowed justice.
Many Republicans in the chamber applauded, while most Democrats remained seated during portions of the tribute. Bondi described the reaction as a missed opportunity for bipartisan empathy. “It was heartbreaking that Iryna’s mother had to experience that. That should be nonpartisan,” she said.
Bondi also pointed to other moments from the speech that she said reflected the administration’s values and priorities.
She highlighted Trump’s announcement that Army National Guard Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, who was critically wounded while on patrol in Washington, DC, would receive the Purple Heart, and the posthumous award to Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who was killed in a shooting last year.
Democratic Senator Fetterman also criticizes party's response
Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa, criticized members of his own party for not applauding at moments honoring victims and individuals during the address.
“I clapped to recognize the family that lost their daughter, the Ukrainian girl who was stabbed to death, you know, in North Carolina. And I stood up, and I clapped that political prisoner from Venezuela,” Fetterman told Fox News. “[I don’t understand] how you can’t celebrate those kinds of things.”
Fetterman, known for his casual attire, also noted a personal detail about attending the event in a suit, “I have more hoodies than suits,” he said, describing wearing a business suit as a “strange” feeling.
The Pennsylvania senator said he was unbothered by standing or clapping, even when he disagreed with other parts of the speech.
“I never worry about standing up or clapping. If I don’t agree with it, or whatever, I’m not going to yell and scream and disrupt the whole thing,” he said, expressing that certain moments of recognition transcended political division.
