Two weeks after the brutal murder of 27-year-old Iryna Zarutska, former North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper finally broke his silence — only to face a firestorm of backlash for turning the tragedy into a political flex.
Rather than expressing straightforward sympathy or addressing public concerns, Cooper, who is running for U.S. Senate and would likely face Republican front-runner Michael Whatley in the general election, issued a campaign-style statement that many called self-serving and deflective. He wrote, “The murder of Iryna Zarutska is a horrible tragedy … 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.”
Critics didn’t hold back. Instead of offering accountability or solutions, Cooper used Zarutska’s death as a springboard for Senate campaign talking points, drawing condemnation from across the political spectrum.
“This man waited TWO WEEKS to comment on the brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska and then used it to launch an attack ad for his Senate run,” wrote conservative commentator Will Chamberlain.
The most devastating takedown came from citizens and analysts who connected Cooper’s soft-on-crime policies to the environment that enabled Zarutska’s killer, who had a long history of violent behavior and had been repeatedly released without bail.
One viral post highlighted Cooper’s 2020 creation of the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC), which implemented 125 “reform” recommendations, including reducing the use of cash bail, downgrading certain criminal offenses to infractions, and expanding “restorative justice” alternatives.
Under Cooper’s leadership, critics say, the justice system shifted from deterrence to leniency, and repeat violent offenders benefited. The suspect in Zarutska’s murder was reportedly released multiple times, despite clear red flags.
“You argue that critics ‘supported cutting funding to law enforcement,’” the post continued. “But these facts show under your leadership, the state itself redirected focus from deterrence and incapacitation toward leniency and diversion. Magistrates, operating within that climate, released Brown without bail even after multiple dangerous encounters. That’s downstream of leadership which prizes symbolic equity reforms over public safety … starting with you.”
