CNN’s Brian Stelter says ‘pro-Trump activists’ seized on Charlotte stabbing

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CNN media analyst Brian Stelter stated the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska is getting used as a "political image" by "pro-Trump activists."

Just lately launched video of Zarutska's killing final month in Charlotte, North Carolina, unfold throughout social media. The clip exhibits 34-year-old Decarlos Brown standing up behind her on a lightweight rail prepare and stabbing her with a pocketknife. Brown has been charged with first-degree homicide.

"Most murders within the U.S. by no means turn out to be nationwide information," Stelter started Monday throughout a CNN section. "This one's obtained our consideration for a few causes. No. 1, firstly, the current launch of that ugly video. Second, the power from pro-Trump activists. They picked up on this video from native information and ran with it."

"It is a bit of bit just like the occasions when civil rights teams have raised consideration about police-involved shootings. On this case, it's Trump-aligned influencers who're posting up a storm about this case on social media, actually over the weekend," Stelter continued. "Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk, different Trump-aligned figures succeeded in making this mindless demise a logo of huge metropolis crime."

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CNN media analyst Brian Stelter known as out the "pro-Trump activists" seizing on the homicide of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. (Jason Mendez/Getty Pictures)

Stelter, who stated the homicide grew to become a "political image" for "MAGA media" in pushing for harsher punishments and extra incarcerations, additionally prompt there was a racial ingredient to the outrage as a result of the suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, is Black.

"I've to say, a few of the replies to Musk, a few of the feedback round this story are baldly racist, stoking concern of African Individuals as a result of this man attacked a White girl," Stelter instructed CNN's Brianna Keilar. "The open racism on websites like X at present, it is eye popping. However there are additionally respectable questions on this so-called profession felony, somebody who had been a repeat offender. And people questions, I hope they don't seem to be misplaced amid the entire cesspool type of feedback on social media."

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Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska got here to the U.S. to flee struggle however was stabbed to demise in Charlotte final month. (Evgeniya Rush/GoFundMe)

Zarutska got here to the U.S. as a refugee fleeing war-torn Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion. She had been working at a pizzeria in Charlotte and was nonetheless carrying her uniform the evening she was attacked, simply after 9:45 p.m. on Aug. 22.

Data obtained by Fox Information Digital present that Brown has had greater than a dozen arrests going again no less than a decade, together with convictions for felony larceny and felony breaking and coming into in 2013, and a 2015 conviction for theft with a harmful weapon that despatched him to jail for greater than six years. He was launched in 2020 however remained on parole till 2021, and subsequent fees towards him included speaking threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this yr.

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/672/378/split-image-decarlos-brown-mug-shot-charlotte-train.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1344/756/split-image-decarlos-brown-mug-shot-charlotte-train.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/931/523/split-image-decarlos-brown-mug-shot-charlotte-train.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1862/1046/split-image-decarlos-brown-mug-shot-charlotte-train.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> L-R: A mugshot of Decarlos Brown; Surveillance footage exhibiting Brown on the sunshine rail trains. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Workplace; CATS)

President Donald Trump condemned the "madman" behind Zarutska's demise whereas providing his condolences to her household.

"A lunatic simply obtained up and began," Trump stated of the suspect. "It is proper on tape. Not likely watchable as a result of it is so horrible, however simply viciously stabbed. She's simply sitting there."

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Fox Information' Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox Information Digital. Story ideas could be despatched to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.