Democrats held their applause during several moments of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, including when Trump promised to ensure justice for Iryna Zarutska, the slain Ukrainian refugee.
Anna Zarutska, Iryna Zarutska’s mother, was teary-eyed as Trump recalled her daughter’s final moments.
“He was arrested over a dozen times and was released through no cash bail. Stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body. No one will ever forget — there were people on that train — no one will ever forget the expression of terror on Iryna’s face as she looked up at her attacker in the last seconds of her life. She died instantly,” said Trump, referring to Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr., the man accused of stabbing Iryna Zarutska to death in August 2025. Brown has been indicted by a federal grand jury and faces one count of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
NOW – Democrats refuse to stand for Anna Zarutska, the mother of Iryna Zarutska. pic.twitter.com/rB2atshSk1
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 25, 2026