CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A heartbreaking tragedy out of Charlotte has once again put the spotlight on failed Democrat crime policies. Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was brutally killed last month while simply trying to use public transit. Her alleged killer? Decarlos Brown Jr.—a man who had already been arrested 14 times. Yes, you read that right. Fourteen. But thanks to “soft-on-crime” Democrat policies, he was walking free until he finally killed an innocent woman.
President Trump didn’t mince words, declaring that the “blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail.” And he’s right. Attorney General Pam Bondi also hit the nail on the head, calling Zarutska’s horrific murder “a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people.” Imagine that—putting criminals above law-abiding citizens. Only in Democrat-run cities does that nonsense fly.
The Trump administration has already taken steps to intervene where local leadership has completely failed—sending troops into Washington, D.C., and planning Guard deployments in Memphis and possibly Baltimore. But here in North Carolina, Republicans aren’t entirely united on what to do next.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told Fox News Digital he doesn’t think Charlotte has reached the point of needing National Guard intervention. In his words, “We shouldn’t be the nation’s police force,” warning that stepping in could end up “masking the failure of Democrat leaders making their cities less safe.” Fair point. After all, why should federal resources cover up Democrat incompetence?
But Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) sees it differently. He blasted “broken policies” pushed by former Gov. Roy Cooper—now running for Tillis’ seat—and current Gov. Josh Stein. Budd made it clear: the reimagined “criminal justice” experiments like cashless bail, ignoring homelessness, and turning a blind eye to drugs are exactly why violent criminals like Brown remain on the streets. His stance? When local government fails this badly, federal intervention becomes necessary.
And that’s the bottom line—policy matters. When Democrats put criminals first, innocent people pay the price. When leaders refuse to act, stronger hands must step in. The tragic death of Iryna Zarutska is proof that soft-on-crime policies destroy lives, but it’s also proof that America has leaders—like President Trump and Republicans fighting in Congress—who are willing to demand accountability.
Because in the end, justice must be served, and America must remain a country where law and order prevail. And that, friends, is worth fighting for.
