Trump blames Iryna Zarutska murder on ‘SECRET settlement’ between Cooper and activists

Published February 13, 2026 8:49pm ET



President Donald Trump blamed Iryna Zarutska’s murder on a “SECRET settlement” between former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and “far left activists.”

The brazen August murder of Zarutska sent shockwaves through the United States and prompted debates on crime and justice, with Republicans pinning the blame on Democrats for what they call soft-on-crime policies. On Friday, Trump directly blamed Zarutska’s death at the hands of repeat offender DeCarlos Brown Jr. on Cooper.

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