On Monday, former Obama advisor Van Jones and CNN’s Abby Phillip criticized Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, suggesting he might have a connection to the murder of Ukrainian refugees in Charlotte, North Carolina, which took place on August 22.
Phillip described the media’s reluctance to engage with the details of this murder as reminiscent of a “mutual George Floyd situation.”
From avoidance to spin
It seems that liberal media outlets were quick to disregard the murder of 23-year-old Irina Zalzka, who was killed last month at Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line.
As more disturbing accounts and online reactions surfaced, some media outlets belatedly attempted to address the story. For instance, the New York Times noted that the case could become a “catalyst for conservative debates about the apparent failures of Democratic policies,” implying it might be framed similarly to the murder of another victim, Laken Riley, by undocumented immigrants.
CNN, similarly reluctant to focus on the implications of Zalzka’s murder, shifted the conversation towards the circumstances and political context surrounding it.
The host of “Newsnight with Abby Phillip,” opened a panel discussion by saying she was “trying to understand why this has sparked such outrage on the right.”
Neither Phillip nor Jones seemed to fully accept the explanation provided by Republican strategist Brad Todd, who described the murder as tragic but especially so because it was preventable. Todd pointed out that the individual accused of this crime had a history of offenses and was released on bail—contributing factors that should have barred him from being out in the first place.
Strategic hearing loss
In an attempt to redirect discussions, Phillip played a clip of Charlie Kirk, who implied that the murder was racially motivated.
The white Ukrainian refugee was murdered because she was white. Obviously everyone knows that. …Random white people simply stabbed nice, law-abiding blacks for no reason, and it would become an apocalyptic national narrative aimed at driving political change.
Phillip remarked that Kirk and others were eager to create a narrative akin to a “mutual George Floyd.” She expressed disappointment at how many seemed willing to go along with this framing.
Jones countered that Kirk’s claim—asserting a racial motive—lacked evidence and perpetuated baseless hatred. He emphasized that such generalizations were misplaced, noting that discussions around race should not dominate the narrative.
In stark contrast to Jones’ viewpoint, the perpetrators of Zalzka’s murder were recorded saying, “I got that white girl,” as violence escalated.
Blaze News reached out to Kirk for his response.
On Monday evening, FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the bureau has been investigating the murders connected to the Charlotte incident since day one.
DeCarlos Brown has been charged with first-degree murder. Blaze News also inquired with the DOJ regarding potential federal hate crime charges against Brown.
