‘Isn’t that a disgrace?’: VP JD Vance condemns crime policies after refugee’s murder in Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Vice President JD Vance visited Concord on Wednesday afternoon, delivering a speech focused heavily on law enforcement and crime.

The visit comes just a month after Iryna Zarutska was tragically stabbed to death on Charlotte’s Blue Line light rail, a case Vance spoke about directly.

“So she came from a war-torn country, she sought shelter in the United States of America, and because of soft-on-crime policies, she was murdered here, not the war-torn country she came from, isn’t that a disgrace?” Vance said.

His remarks, delivered at Concord’s airport, didn’t include any new policy announcements. Instead, they resembled more of a campaign rally, with Vance sharply criticizing Democratic leaders. He blamed what he described as “soft-on-crime” policies for rising violence and pointed to Zarutska’s death as an example.

North Carolina’s top Republican figures were present for the visit, including state and congressional leaders, as well as Michael Whatley, the expected GOP nominee for U.S. Senate.

Vance spent much of his speech attacking Democratic positions on policing and the justice system, arguing that the Trump administration and its allies are the ones truly committed to public safety.

Democrats in North Carolina pushed back. Governor Josh Stein has called for a surge in police presence in Charlotte following the deadly stabbing. A crime bill named after Iryna Zarutska recently passed the legislature, though it’s unclear if Stein will sign it.

Watch his full remarks below:

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