Trump on brutal murder of Ukrainian refugee in US: "We have to be able to handle that."
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed condolences to the family of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was killed in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 23, 2025.
He said this on September 8 during a speech before the White House Commission on Religious Freedom, Censor.NET reported.
Trump said: "I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed this morning or last night in Charlotte by a madman. A lunatic just got up and started, it’s right on the tape, not really watchable, because it’s so horrible but just viciously stabbed. She’s just sitting there.."
He said he had watched the footage of the attack, called it horrific, and described the killer as an evil person.
Trump added: "We [the U.S.] have to be able to handle that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country," referring to the wave of violent acts in the nation.
"The Trump administration will not tolerate terrorism or political violence, including hate crimes against Christians, Jews, or anyone else. We will not allow it," he stressed.
The politician again mentioned the Charlotte killing and other crimes, emphasizing that he intends to take tough measures.
"You know, when terrible murders happen, we must take ‘terrible’ measures. The actions we are taking now are nothing," Trump concluded.
What is known about the murder of Iryna Zarutska?
The murder of Iryna Zarutska on 23 August 2025 was reported by the Charlotte Police Department.
According to law enforcement, the 23-year-old girl was fatally stabbed. A video of the attack was also posted online.
"Ms Zarutska's next of kin have been notified of her death and of this update in the case," they said.
The suspect in the attack, 34-year-old Dekarlos Brown Jr, was arrested. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Brown was charged with first-degree murder.
The GoFundMe platform, which is raising funds for Iryna's family, states that the girl came to the United States because of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Later, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would soon learn all the details of the case.
