Soft-on-crime Democrats like Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina do not seem to recognize that they have unleashed something uncontrollable.
Indeed, the brutal Aug. 22 murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a light rail in Charlotte, allegedly by 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. — a black man with 14 prior court cases on his record, including convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and larceny — has pushed many law-abiding citizens to the breaking point and filled us with determination to no longer live under liberals’ insane pro-criminal policies.
But Cooper has not acknowledged citizens’ righteous rage. Instead, on Tuesday, he took to the social media platform X and, in the words of Donald Trump Jr., tried to “play the victim.”
Cooper called Zarutska’s murder a “horrible tragedy” and declared that “we must do everything we can to keep people safe.”
Nowhere in his platitudinous statement did Cooper admit that the felon Brown had no business riding North Carolina’s trains.
Instead, the governor turned his X post into a de facto campaign ad.
“Only a cynical DC insider would think it’s acceptable to use her death for political points, especially one who supported cutting funding to law enforcement in NC,” referring to Michael Whatley, chairman of the Republican National Committee and Cooper’s presumptive opponent in the 2026 North Carolina Senate race.
The murder of Iryna Zarutska is a horrible tragedy and we must do everything we can to keep people safe.
Only a cynical DC insider would think it’s acceptable to use her death for political points, especially one who supported cutting funding to law enforcement in NC.
— Roy Cooper (@RoyCooperNC) September 9, 2025
Never mind the hilarity of a Democrat campaigning on funding law enforcement. The entire straight-out-of-a-consultant’s-mouth tone to Cooper’s comments left a queasy feeling in one’s stomach.
“I’ve been Attorney General and Governor, dedicating my career to putting violent criminals behind bars and keeping them there,” the governor insisted in a follow-up post. “It’s time Michael Whatley and the GOP get serious in Washington about funding our law enforcement, and that’s what I’ll do as Senator.”
I’ve been Attorney General and Governor, dedicating my career to putting violent criminals behind bars and keeping them there.
It’s time Michael Whatley and the GOP get serious in Washington about funding our law enforcement, and that’s what I’ll do as Senator.
— Roy Cooper (@RoyCooperNC) September 9, 2025
In response, Trump Jr. called it “sickening to watch Roy Cooper play the victim here.”
“He’s mad because people are telling the truth about how his soft on crime policies that allowed a 14 time repeat violent offender free on the streets led to this murder. We’re done with politicians who coddle criminals!” the president’s son added.
It’s sickening to watch Roy Cooper play the victim here. He’s mad because people are telling the truth about how his soft on crime policies that allowed a 14 time repeat violent offender free on the streets led to this murder.
We’re done with politicians who coddle criminals! https://t.co/NyLHPsZOkh
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 10, 2025
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance blasted Cooper for disingenuously citing law-enforcement funding as an issue in Zarutska’s murder.
“Law enforcement arrested this thug 14 times,” Vance wrote. “It wasn’t law enforcement that failed. It was weak politicians like you who kept letting him out of prison.”
Law enforcement arrested this thug 14 times. It wasn’t law enforcement that failed. It was weak politicians like you who kept letting him out of prison. https://t.co/AbVPis2O78
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 10, 2025
Whatley echoed the vice president’s criticism.
“Law enforcement did their job and arrested this thug 14 times,” Whatley wrote. “YOU repeatedly FAILED to do yours.”
Law enforcement did their job and arrested this thug 14 times – YOU repeatedly FAILED to do yours. https://t.co/BaqULHtVyo
— Michael Whatley (@ChairmanWhatley) September 10, 2025
Conservative attorney Will Chamberlain also placed the blame squarely on Cooper in a Tuesday post.
“You are the man who launched a racial equity task force that pushed against cash bail and habitual felon status,” he wrote. “Iryna Zarutska’s death is the direct result of your policy failures as Governor.”
Above all, Cooper does not appear to understand what Zarutska’s murder in one of his cities has done to many conservatives, especially men.
For instance, conservative commentator Matt Walsh posted a close-up surveillance photo of Zarutska looking up at Brown with terror in her eyes.
“This image provokes deep visceral rage in every father who sees it,” Walsh wrote. “I can’t even fully articulate it. It’s primal. We want scalps. We want heads on pikes.”
This image provokes deep visceral rage in every father who sees it. I can’t even fully articulate it. It’s primal. We want scalps. We want heads on pikes. pic.twitter.com/1PfyQyb9Ma
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) September 10, 2025
In another post, Walsh predicted that a larger version of that same image “will define the new civil rights movement.”
This image will define the new civil rights movement. We have a right to use public accommodations without being butchered in our seats. We have a right to safe communities where violent animals are rounded up and caged. This is not just a local crime. It’s a civil rights issue. pic.twitter.com/3VuADE6thr
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) September 9, 2025
“I don’t think you understand the level of radicalization this has caused within me,” former nuclear scientist Matt Van Swol wrote. “I will never be the same person after watching this video. We do not have to live this way…”
I don’t think you understand the level of radicalization this has caused within me.
I will never be the same person after watching this video.
We do not have to live this way… pic.twitter.com/3jT3gxMZgt
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) September 10, 2025
Of course, our refusal henceforth to tolerate Democrats’ coddling of criminals will not bring Iryna Zarutska back. It will, however, save other innocent lives.
Cooper and his fellow Democrats had best get that through their thick skulls. As President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, we will no longer play nice.
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