Miller Accuses Democrats of Terrorism After Murder of Ukrainian Refugee

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller accused the Democratic Party of terrorism in response to the murder of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, who was fatally stabbed on a light-rail train in Charlotte on August 22.

Miller’s comments came during an appearance on Fox News, where he criticized Democratic crime policies after police charged 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. with first-degree murder. Brown, who has a lengthy criminal record and a history of mental illness, was arrested on the train platform.

“The Democrat Party is terrorizing the American people,” Miller stated, asserting that policies allowing for the release of offenders contribute to public danger. He added, “This is terrorism being waged against the American people.”

The remarks quickly drew backlash, including a response from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who joked on social media, “Stephen Miller is talking about himself in the third person again.”

Former President Donald Trump also seized on Zarutska’s death to advocate for tougher crime measures in cities with Democratic leadership. He claimed that only aggressive policing and severe sentencing could ensure public safety.

However, crime statistics reveal a different narrative. The FBI reported a 4.5 percent decline in violent crime and nearly a 15 percent drop in murders in 2024, a trend that has persisted into 2025.

Despite the statistics, right-wing media continues to highlight violence in cities governed by Democrats while overlooking increases in crime in red states.

This incident has sparked a heated exchange between political figures, with Newsom recently mocking Miller’s theatrical appeals. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson criticized him, saying, “An innocent woman was brutally murdered by a career criminal allowed to run free because of the left’s soft-on-crime policies, and NewSCUM tries to make a joke out of it?”