The White House delivered a blistering critique of North Carolina officials on Tuesday, blaming the Charlotte train murder of a Ukrainian refugee on “liberal” judges and policies that allowed the charged suspect to be on the streets.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was federally charged on Tuesday for committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. He also faces a state first-degree murder charge. Brown is accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska while traveling on a light-rail train on Aug. 22.
Brown, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, has more than a decade of criminal history, ranging from armed robbery to assault. He served five years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon. Citing his criminal record, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Zarutska’s death was completely avoidable.
The spokesperson for President Donald Trump said the murder was the result of failed actions by elected officials and the judicial system. Leavitt particularly called out Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, whom she accused of being a “strong supporter” of former Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s opponent in the 2024 presidential election. The Trump official also blamed a racial equity task force in North Carolina.
“Decarlos Brown never should have been on that train that night. In fact, he should have been behind bars,” said Leavitt during Tuesday’s White House press briefing. “When Brown was arrested yet again in January of this past year, a Democrat judge who…I will add was a supporter, a strong supporter, of former Vice President Kamala Harris, released this insane criminal once again without requiring him to pay any bail.”
Leavitt did not provide evidence of Judge Stokes’ political affiliation or that she supported Harris. TheGrio has not been able to independently verify whether Stokes supported or donated to Harris’ campaign.
Brown was arrested on Jan. 19 for “misuse of the 911 system” after repeatedly calling 911 to claim there were “man-made” materials inside his body controlling his eating, walking and talking, according to ABC 13 News.
Leavitt continued, “He simply had to sign a written promise to return for his court hearing. Think about how crazy it is to ask a career criminal, someone who, by definition, repeatedly breaks the law, to just sign a written promise and come back again another day. This is madness.”
The Trump spokesperson called out North Carolina Democrats for “championing” the “failed experiment” of cashless bail, including former Gov. Roy Cooper, who she noted established a Task Force for Racial Equity In Criminal Justice in 2020.
“Sounds nice, but it’s not that,” said Leavitt, who decried the task force’s proposals for diversion programs, restorative justice and policies like eliminating cash bail. “Democrats in North Carolina and nationwide are consumed with pushing a woke soft-on-crime agenda, no matter how many innocent Americans suffer as a result.”
Leavitt also blamed the press, accusing reporters of trying to “smear” Daniel Penny, the New York City man who was acquitted of negligent homicide after using a deadly chokehold on Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Black homeless man. Penny was “defending a subway car from a deranged lunatic in New York City, but none of those same reporters lifted a finger to write stories about an actual murderer,” said Leavitt.
In response to Leavitt’s remarks, Jamarr Brown, executive director of Color of Change PAC, the political arm of the racial justice organization, told theGrio, “Donald Trump has a long record of seizing on isolated tragedies to stoke fear, especially when it involves Black men, while ignoring the systemic violence his own agenda creates. Right now, he’s using this moment to attack equity, restorative justice, and bail reform.”
Brown added, “Let’s be clear: these policies are about building fairness and safety in our justice system.”
Da’Quan Love, executive director of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, said Zarutska’s life was “cut short in an act of senseless violence.”
“We grieve alongside her family, coworkers, and community who now carry the weight of this loss,” said Love. He told theGrio, “This tragedy reminds us that justice must include not only accountability for acts of violence but also a commitment to building systems that protect the vulnerable, address mental health crises, and ensure public safety for all. We stand firm in our call for leaders at every level—local, state, and federal—to act with urgency and compassion.”
The issue of crime has been a major topic as of late at the White House amid President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and a threat to also send troops to majority Black and brown cities like Chicago, Baltimore, and New Orleans.
Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday, “President Trump firmly believes that to maintain order in public safety, we must incarcerate individuals whose pending criminal charges or criminal history demonstrate a clear ongoing risk to civil society.”
Brown of Color of Change PAC told theGrio, “What Trump is offering is the same old ‘tough on crime’ politics that lock people up without addressing root causes. Real safety doesn’t come from scapegoating Black communities or dismantling equity, it comes when we invest in jobs, healthcare, education, and real accountability.”
He added, “His white supremacist agenda would take us backwards, stripping away voting rights and civil rights protections, leaving our communities less safe. At Color Of Change PAC, we’re organizing to elect leaders who will deliver true safety and justice, not fear and division.”
