Trump invokes Iryna Zarutska’s murder to attack Democrats over crime in North Carolina

GASTONIA, NC: President Trump invoked the stabbing murder of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, in Charlotte last year during his rally in Gastonia, North Carolina.

President Trump mentioned the case to criticize Democratic Senate candidate and former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, accusing him of being ineffective in dealing with crime.

The president said he had watched the security footage several times, suggesting that he found the case particularly heinous.

​Trump recounts details of Iryna Zarutska’s stabbing

"She was more scared being on that train in North Carolina than she was being in Ukraine, with all the missiles and bombs," Trump said, adding, "It was the most violent thing I've ever seen, I think. Murdering her on that Metro train where she died, terrified and all alone."

Trump described the moments leading up to the stabbing in detail, saying Zarutska "was petrified to be on that train" and had "crawled up in the seat" trying to hide before the attack, unaware that the man seated behind her, Decarlos Brown Jr, had "set his bloodthirsty eyes on her."

According to reports, Brown, who was 34 years old at the time of the killing, had been in and out of prison 14 times in Mecklenburg County.

In 2007, he was accused of assault and battery. Brown has been found to be sane to stand a trial.

Trump accuses Roy Cooper over suspect’s release

Trump argued Brown should never have been free to commit the attack, saying, "The animal who murdered Iryna Zarutska should never have been on your streets after 14 arrests. He should have been locked up for many, many years, but Roy Cooper released him."

Trump went on to link the case to a broader claim about Cooper's record, saying Cooper "cut a deal with radical activists to release... 3,500 inmates, some of the worst criminals in the nation into North Carolina."

Trump further said, "hundreds of child pr**ators, dozens of killers, murderers and people serving life sentences."

North Carolina's prisons department claimed that Brown served his sentence and was released from custody, and there were no policies of early release under the Cooper administration.

Iryna Zarutska murder becomes campaign issue in North Carolina Senate race

Trump also brought up the case in his argument about North Carolina’s crime problem, stating, "So much crime here. It's on the national news... somebody was stabbed to death. Somebody was shot."

"And I keep saying, what's going on with North Carolina? It's your governors."

During the campaign, previous Governor Cooper has been attacked by both Trump and his Republican opponent, Senator Michael Whatley, who is challenging Cooper in the Senate election. 

Whatley has accused Cooper of being responsible for the murder during a separate campaign event, telling his supporters, “her blood is on Roy Cooper’s hands.”

Cooper’s camp has pushed back against the allegations, and the case has emerged as one of the most high-profile instances in what many are considering one of the most closely contested Senate races in the 2026 midterms.