President Donald Trump and other Republicans have blamed Zarutska\u2019s death on Democratic policies in North Carolina.<\/b>
\nKey Facts
Brown, who was arrested on first-degree murder charges at the state level, was federally charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system after Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed on Aug. 22, the Justice Department announced.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said prosecutors would seek a maximum penalty for Brown, who faces life in prison or the death penalty, according to the DOJ.What Has Donald Trump Said About Iryna Zarutska?
Trump on Monday, in response to surveillance footage of the attack released last week, wrote on Truth Social that Zarutska was \u201cbrutally ambushed by a mentally deranged\u201d Brown and noted Brown\u2019s previous arrests. He blamed Democrats in the state for Zarutska\u2019s death, writing \u201cher blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail,\u201d while pointing to policies under former Gov. Roy Cooper. In his post, Trump added an endorsement for Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in his U.S. Senate race against Cooper, writing \u201conly Republicans will deliver\u201d on \u201cLAW AND ORDER.\u201d The White House released an accompanying statement, claiming the attack was the \u00ab\u00a0culmination of North Carolina\u2019s Democrat politicians, prosecutors and judges prioritizing woke agendas.\u201dWhat Have Other Republicans Said About Iryna Zarutska?
Whatley backed Trump\u2019s response as \u201cspot on,\u201d alleging Cooper\u2019s \u201cspineless, soft-on-crime policies have unleashed predators\u201d like Brown and \u201ccountless other violent thugs.\u201d Whatley claimed an executive order signed by Cooper, which established a Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, allowed Brown\u2019s release from prison after a five-year sentence on robbery charges, though the order did not call for early releases. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency would investigate Charlotte\u2019s rail system and threatened to pull federal funding \u201cif mayors can\u2019t keep their trains and buses safe.\u201d White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller accused Democrats of protecting \u201cthe criminal, the monstrous and the depraved.\u201d Elon Musk, who briefly worked in the Trump administration, accused state judges and prosecutors of allowing \u201ccriminals to roam free.\u201dWhat Have North Carolina Democrats Said About Iryna Zarutska?
Cooper, in a statement from his campaign, told Politico the attack was a \u201cheartbreaking, despicable act of evil.\u201d Cooper accused Whatley of lying, suggesting Whatley \u201cknows his support for federal policies that cut local and state law enforcement funding is wrong for North Carolina.\u201d North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said he was \u201cappalled\u201d by surveillance footage of Zarutska\u2019s attack and called on state legislators to address law enforcement vacancies \u201cso they can stop these horrific crimes and hold violent criminals accountable.\u201d Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles called the attack a \u201csenseless and tragic loss,\u201d noting she was \u201cthinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city.\u201dTangent
Trump\u2019s comments on Zarutska\u2019s death came after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published a copy of a birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein allegedly signed by Trump. The note was first reported by The Wall Street Journal in July, though Trump argued the letter was \u201cFAKE\u201d and filed a lawsuit against the Journal, its publisher Dow Jones and parent firm News Corp seeking $10 billion in damages. The White House would agree to an analysis of the signature on the card, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.Key Background
Zarutska was attacked shortly after boarding a Charlotte light rail train the night of Aug. 22, according to court records. A person appearing to be Zarutska, who left Ukraine to escape the country\u2019s war with Russia, was seen on surveillance footage sitting in front of a person who appears to be Brown. The Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department later arrested Brown, who has 14 prior arrests in Mecklenburg County, including a five-year sentence for robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to court records. Brown was arrested earlier this year for repeatedly calling police from a hospital, though he was later released without bail. Brown\u2019s mother has said she sought involuntary psychiatric commitment for Brown after he became violent at home earlier this year, as Brown was diagnosed with schizophrenia, the Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n