CNN’s Brian Stelter seemed to dismiss the outrage over a career criminal allegedly killing a Ukrainian refugee as racism.

The liberal news network finally addressed the tragic murder of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska during their Monday night segment, following Donald Trump’s vocal criticism of the case, wherein he accused Democrats of responsibility.

Zarutska was quietly seated on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, focused on her phone, when disturbing surveillance footage captured a man attacking her with a knife on August 22.

The perpetrator was identified as 35-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., a repeat offender who was on bail at the time of the alleged murder of the young woman, who had sought refuge in the United States due to the ongoing conflict in her homeland.

Many have since expressed their rage at the fact that Brown Jr. was not behind bars despite being arrested at least 14 times.

Stelter remarked on Monday night that ‘some of the discourse around this case is blatantly racist, inciting fear of African Americans because a Black man attacked a white woman.’

‘The overt racism on platforms like X today is startling,’ he asserted, further noting that ‘figures aligned with Trump have instrumentalized this tragic death to highlight issues of urban crime.’

‘This incident has ascended from local news outlets to social media, and now to national attention – with it being utilized as a political tool, as MAGA media advocates for stricter penalties and increased incarceration,’ he explained.

CNN’s Brian Stelter seemed to dismiss the outrage over a career criminal allegedly killing a Ukrainian refugee as racism

Shocking surveillance footage showed a suspect, identified as 35-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., violently stabbing Iryna Zarutska, 23, as she sat on a train on August 22

 Still, he acknowledged that there are ‘legitimate questions about this so-called career criminal, someone who had been a repeat offender.’

Stelter concluded: ‘And those questions, I hope they’re not lost amid all of the cesspool kind of comments on social media.’

The media analyst was quickly ridiculed on social media for his comments, with many arguing that the issue is not about race.

‘CNN Brian Stelter said MAGA supporters are making this crime about race, which is a lie!!’ one X user wrote. 

‘It’s about the fact this repeat violent criminal should NOT have been out of jail on the streets for having the opportunity to commit this horrific crime!! He should have been in prison.’

The popular LibsofTikTok account also suggested that Stelter is ‘mad that MAGA made Iryna Zarutska’s murder national news when legacy media REFUSED to cover it.’

Echoing that sentiment, another X user wrote: ‘Finally forced to cover the Iryna Zarutska murder, CNN rolls out resident potato Brian Stelter to twist and torture the story into a screed about… racism on the right and on X.’

Stelter’s remarks came just hours after Trump expressed his outrage that Brown Jr. was allowed to walk free on his Truth Social page.

Stelter claimed the case is stoking fears against African Americans because Zarutska was a white woman

Many online were left outraged Monday night by Stelter’s comments

‘I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic,’ Trump wrote.

‘The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.’

The president also wondered why the story had been ignored by the left-leaning press, asking ‘where is the outrage from Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy?’ as both Charlotte’s woke mayor and a magistrate judge face backlash.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles suggested that Brown Jr. is simply a victim of the justice system, noting that the suspect – who is homeless – has struggled in the past with mental health issues.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes freed Brown Jr. in January – just about seven months before police say he stabbed the Ukrainian refugee.

Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes (pictured) freed Brown Jr. in January, around seven months before police say he went on to slaughter Zarutska

Brown has spent most of his life in and out of prison. He served five years in prison for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September, 2020 – when he quickly resumed a life of crime 

She had allowed the career criminal to walk free on a ‘written promise’ that he would return for his next court appearance following his arrest in January for ‘misuse of the 911 system.’

Brown Jr. dialed the emergency number while police were conducting a welfare check on him. 

During the ordeal, Brown, who is schizophrenic, told police he thought that ‘man made’ materials were inside his body controlling his movements. 

‘Brown wanted officers to investigate this “man-made” material that was inside of his body,’ an arrest affidavit reads.

‘Officers advised Brown that the issue was medical issue and that there was nothing further they could do.’ 

The response sent Brown into a rage, and he called 911. Officers arrested him and charged him with a misdemeanor.

Even Brown’s mother said the court system failed the community by allowing him to roam free despite his serious mental health issues, according to Newsweek. 

She said he was placed under psychiatric monitoring for two weeks after she secured an involuntary commitment order when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2014. 

The desperate mother said that he became so aggressive that she had to kick him out of her home.  

A court memo saying Brown Jr. could be freed with only a ‘written promise to appear’ at his next court hearing includes Stokes’ signature, and one of Brown’s many mugshots showing him looking dazed with his eyebrows raised

Brown’s lengthy criminal history also includes assaulting his sister in 2021, leaving her with minor injuries, and armed robbery in 2014.

Despite these crimes, and Brown being a potential flight risk because he was not fixed to any set address, Stokes released him during his court hearing about the 911 call. 

A document outlining the condition of his release seen by the Daily Mail shows that it was authorized with only a ‘written promise to appear’ at his next court hearing. 

The court memo from Mecklenburg County includes Stokes’ signature, and one of Brown’s many mugshots showing him looking dazed with his eyebrows raised. 

But Brown had served time in prison in the past.

He spent five years behind bars for a 2014 armed robbery and was released September 2020.

Just months after his release, in February 2021, Brown was again arrested for assaulting his sister in Charlotte and leaving her with minor injuries, according to police records obtained by the Daily Mail.

That same month, he was also arrested for injury to personal property and trespassing. 

Donald Trump said that Democrats have blood on their hands after watching the video of the brutal stabbing

A police report from that incident said Brown ‘returned to the address after being told he was not allowed back and kicked and damaged the front door of the listed victim’s residence.’

In July 2022, Brown was then arrested again for a domestic disturbance.

‘[Brown] was arrested for disorderly conduct. The suspect was yelling and cursing, causing a disturbance and drawing the attention of multiple tenants while on the property the call for service was located,’ read the police report.

Brown’s arrest records go as back as 2007, when he was still a minor

Over the next seven years, he was arrested at least six times for crimes including felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats.

According to the Charlotte Observer, most of the charges he faced during that time were dropped.

When reached for comment, the Mecklenburg District Attorney’s Office told the Daily Mail last week it cannot speak about defendants with pending cases.  

‘In broad terms, it remains the position of the District Attorney’s office that those who commit violent crimes should be held in custody pending trial,’ the DA’s office said.