President Donald Trump could be preparing to put the final nail in the coffin of court precedent limiting the right to pray in public schools, legal experts say. Trump announced Monday that the Department of Education will issue new guidance on school prayer in line with his 2024 campaign promise to “bring back prayer” to public schools. “The president spoke about that yesterday, and some of the changes we are making to ensure that the religious liberties of America’s students in our youth are respected in public schools,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Daily Signal on Tuesday. “In fact, he had a young student, invited him on stage to share his story about how when this young boy spoke about biological and biblical truth in his classroom, he faced consequences for that, and how Americans of faith should not be facing consequences for expressing their religious freedom and their religious views.” Yesterday @POTUS announced new guidance on public school prayer. I asked @PressSec if Trump is seeking changes to court precedent.“Americans of faith should not be facing consequences for expressing their religious freedom and their religious views, not in any public school in… pic.twitter.com/zptwxvz13l— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) September 9, 2025 “Not in any public school in America should that be happening,” Leavitt added. The details of the directive have not been released. But if the guidance says it’s legal to pray in schools, leftists are likely to sue, which could set the Supreme Court up to undo existing cases prohibiting students from praying, leading prayer, and being led in prayer, according to Roger Severino, director of the Health and Human Service’s Office for Civil Rights under first Trump administration. “I expect the guidance will say administrators can no longer force kids to shed their faith at the schoolhouse door,” Severino told The Daily Signal. “President Trump has promised to end DEI and LGBT ideology being imposed on students nationwide, especially students of faith, but I also believe he will protect the rights of students to pray because schools are not state mandated God-free zones.” God back in graduations? Today @POTUS announced upcoming guidance from @usedgov on the right of school kids to pray, lead, and be led in prayer in public schools. Atheists and leftists will likely sue against the guidance (and schools implementing it) which may tee up @scotus… pic.twitter.com/xGar6BPoi7— Roger Severino (@RogerSeverino_) September 8, 2025 Based on past actions, an executive order encouraging religious activity in public schools would likely be challenged by those who want to remove religion from the public square, said Tyson Langhofer, director of the Center for Academic Freedom at the conservative nonprofit law firm Alliance Defending Freedom. “But it’s very clear that the Constitution protects private religious expression in the public square,” he told The Daily Signal. “Not only does it protect it, but it prohibits the government from discriminating against religious individuals who want to engage in religious activity.” Lemon v. Kurtzman In Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Supreme Court in 1971 established a three-pronged test a statute must pass to avoid violating the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The statute must have a secular legislative purpose; its principal or primary effect must be one that neither promotes nor inhibits religion; and it must not foster “excessive government entanglement with religion.” This test dominated public school prayer jurisprudence until 2022, when the court largely discarded the test. Lee v. Weisman In 1992, the court held that the Establishment Clause prohibits public schools from composing official prayers to recite as part of a religious program carried on by the government. The court held that a rabbi speaking at a public high school graduation created “a state-sponsored and state-directed religious exercise in a public school,” violating the Establishment Clause.  Since-retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who wrote the opinion, used the Lemon Test to justify the ruling. Santa Fe v. Doe Eight years later, in 2000, the court held in Santa Fe v. Doe that a Santa Fe High School’s policy allowing student-led, student-initiated prayer at football games violated the Establishment Clause. The court decided that football game prayers were public speech authorized by a government policy and taking place on government property at government-sponsored school-related events, and that the high school’s policy involved government endorsement of prayer at important school events. Kennedy v. Bremerton School District But in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District in 2022, the court pared back the application of the Establishment Clause. The court largely abandoned the Lemon Test, ruling instead that the Establishment Clause “must be interpreted by ‘reference to historical practices and understandings.’” High school football coach Joe Kennedy led students in prayer during and after school games. Kennedy refused to stop after Washington state’s Bremerton School District asked him to, in order to prevent the school from being sued for violating the Establishment Clause.  Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, Kennedy won the case. The Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution neither mandates nor permits the government to suppress such religious expression, saying that the First Amendment protects an individual engaging in a personal religious observance.  Our country would be a better place if we taught public school students biblical values. Fortunately, @LifeWiseAcademy is already doing it across America—during school hours.Let’s have more prayer, happier families, and more fulfilling lives.I love evangelizing on TV! pic.twitter.com/ufrqJc3IYp— Rob Bluey (@RobertBluey) September 8, 2025 Langhofer said an executive order from Trump setting out what types of religious activity are allowed in school under the Establishment Clause could help public schoolteachers and administrators understand the extent of the current law. The Supreme Court’s Establishment Clause jurisprudence has evolved a lot over the past 20 years, Langhofer said. Many of the prior decisions on prayer were based on the Lemon Test, but now that it has been overruled, many policies previously held as unconstitutional in cases like Lee and Santa Fe could be looked at again. The Kennedy v. Bremerton ruling hints that the conservative Supreme Court would view the Establishment Clause differently than how it was interpreted in the past, Langhofer said. “There is a misunderstanding broadly in the public and in public school administration of what the Establishment Clause means,” he said. “The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from establishing a particular religion, which would include forcing individuals to participate in religious activities that they don’t want to participate in.” “But it absolutely does not prohibit individuals from engaging in religious activity, including prayers, even during any kind of school hours,” he continued. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., praised Trump for “understand[ing] that prayer is the cornerstone of strong families, strong communities, and a strong nation.” “By protecting our children’s right to pray in school, he is restoring faith to its rightful place in American life,” she told The Daily Signal. “I’m thankful our nation has a leader who boldly defends religious liberty.” The post How Trump’s Forthcoming Guidance on Public School Prayer Could Alter Existing Court Precedent appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump could very well usher in a new birth of free speech in the United Kingdom, that very much appears to be on an Orwellian path to tyranny. Despite a long, shared Anglo-American tradition of free speech, the U.S. and the U.K. are going separate ways. In the U.S., institutionally backed political correctness is on the wane, at least for now. In Britain, it’s being enforced by state authorities. But with Trump set to make an unprecedented second state visit to the U.K. in late September, he has a chance to address one of the most contentious issues eroding our longstanding alliance. “I will just say that in terms of, U.K., strange things are happening over there,” Trump said last Thursday. “They are cracking down and surprisingly so. And I’ve spoken to the prime minister and, let’s see what happens. But, it is a different, a little bit different situation. I’m very surprised to see what’s happening.” What’s been happening there has been downright disturbing. Britain’s speech crisis came to a head recently when British authorities arrested and interrogated Irish comedian Graham Linehan as he arrived in Heathrow Airport over a handful of social media posts. In the posts, Linehan had been critical of transgender ideology and mocked gender identity activists. Even the reliably liberal Atlantic Magazine noted how disturbing and tyrannical this arrest was. “Assuming that Linehan’s account is correct, then his arrest is totalitarian, absurd, and a waste of police time,” wrote Atlantic staff writer Helen Lewis. “It is also symptomatic of a wider chill on free speech in Europe, where the selective deployment of laws over hate speech, offense, and incitement has turned the police into the enforcers of progressive values and given them enormous discretionary power.” In the U.K., not only does free speech not have the same legal protection as the U.S., but their system has made it easy to weaponize government and enforce what can only be described as woke blasphemy laws. British authorities have attempted to extend those laws beyond their borders too. It’s noteworthy that Linehan had been in Arizona when he made the X posts leading to his arrest. And the U.K.’s weaponization of censorship has undoubtedly escalated. The New York Post reported in August that about 30 people are arrested in the U.K. every day for social media posts and other speech crimes. The “crimes” include everything from posting crass racialized words online to criticizing pro-Palestinian protesters to praying near an abortion clinic. Britain has not only criminalized rudeness, but it’s also actively suppressing political speech. What the people of Britain and much of Europe are living through is if the Great Awokening in the U.S. never slowed down. Publicly condemning immigration laws, gender identity activists, or any of the Left’s sacred cows comes with the real risk of arrest. But there are signs that at least some British subjects are fed up with the odious speech laws. In recent months, the flag of England has been popping up all over public places as a sign of resistance to open ended immigration. It should be no surprise that the display of these flags is being criticized as “racist” by left-wing and legacy media news outlets. But suppressing speech while squashing serious questions about immigration and gender ideology is creating a powder keg in England that can’t simply be swept away. The situation appears to have prompted Trump to action. Much like in his negotiations with other allies and adversaries, the 47th president seems willing to use American economic leverage to get the U.K. to abandon its censorship regime. According to the Telegraph, Trump may demand stronger free speech guarantees by the British government in exchange for a technology sharing agreement. Not only will this benefit Brits, but American companies that risk running afoul absurd British laws. “U.S. and U.K. officials have been working on a technology partnership that will include close co-operation on ‘pillars’ such as artificial intelligence and advanced computing,” the Telegraph reported. “Discussions about including a passage regarding the value of free speech in draft versions of a memorandum of understanding have been ongoing for several weeks.” Less censorship in exchange for technological cooperation would certainly be a welcome development. It’s no exaggeration to note that if the U.K. doesn’t reverse course on censorship, it could do serious damage to the “special relationship” it’s had with the U.S. since the end of World War II. Trump is giving the U.K. a serious amount of encouragement and a little cajoling to set things right. Maybe a little bit of the spirit of ’76 will finally hit England’s shores and help them save themselves from a fast-approaching dystopia. The post Trump Should Bring Free Speech With Him to the UK appeared first on The Daily Signal.

UK Judge Bids 'All the Best' Cheery Adieu to London Bombing Terrorist as He's Released

On his second day back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the weaponization of the federal government — but the FBI is still targeting traditional Catholics, defying both the law and his directive. Americans were outraged after a declassified FBI memo approved in October 2022 revealed that Richmond FBI had begun investigating some "radical-traditionalist" Catholics for their supposed ties to "the far-right white nationalist movement" as well as their opposition to abortion and "LGBTQ protections" in the law. Why is the FBI 'snooping on my private chat of 43 Catholic men in South Louisiana?'Then-Director Christopher Wray insisted in July 2023 that the memo was "a single product by a single field office," but the Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government later determined that FBI offices in Portland, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee also contributed to its development.While the Trump administration has made significant strides in neutralizing the anti-Christian bias pervading federal agencies and the threat of the deep state against law-abiding Christian Americans, it seems that some rad-trad Catholics may still be under surveillance.Blaze News spoke with Ross McKnight, one of the leaders of La Nouvelle Vendée, a Catholic group comprising mainly men that aims to "resist secularism," reclaim their "patrimony," and "restore Christendom in Louisiana by implementing the Doctrine of the Social Reign of Christ the King."McKnight said that FBI Special Agent Beau Barker has made contact with him and another member in recent weeks, expressing concerns about some "online" comments.Living out the Catholic faith, unredactedMcKnight told Blaze News that the group formed two years ago and that he and about 40 other men have a private Telegram chat in which they readily share their views. He made clear that the group holds to traditional Catholic teaching without apology."There's a necessity for Catholic social action towards the social kingdom of Christ," he said. And to that end, he and his fellow LNV members gather to pray the rosary, especially at events that promote sin, such as Pride parades.McKnight also noted that the religion of Islam is a "heresy" and therefore is in conflict with the Catholic Church. "Muslims are historically what we would call a public enemy of the Catholic Church," he said.On account of these views regarding Islam, the group strongly opposed the sale of a Catholic church in Buffalo, New York, to a Muslim group that intended to convert the sacred building into a mosque. McKnight shared a screenshot of part of their Telegram conversation about the prospective mosque. In it, McKnight states: "I look forward to the day wherein we [redacted], [redacted], and completely [redacted] that place, which may not be so far away."RELATED: Police drag away a man for saying he likes bacon near a sprawling mosque construction site Screenshot shared with Blaze NewsMcKnight confirmed to Blaze News that he used the word "redacted" in brackets intentionally, though he did not clarify what he meant."We don't hate Muslims. We hate the heresy that is Islam. And so that's what we're fighting. We're not fighting Muslims as people," he explained."I don't have any intention of doing anything violent," he continued.The FBI gets involvedMcKnight said he was just going about his business on August 22, 2025, when he received an unexpected phone call. The caller identified himself as Beau Barker, a special agent with the FBI."Hey, I'd like to talk to you about something you posted online," Barker said, McKnight recalled.When McKnight demurred, Barker more or less indicated McKnight didn't have much of a choice. "I asked him for details. He wouldn't provide them. He just said, 'I want to talk to you,'" McKnight explained. "And I said, 'Well, is it voluntary?' He said, 'Yes, but ... basically, we'll come to you if you don't come to us.'"'We do not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including religious practices.'Just a few days later, Barker rang McKnight again. When he didn't get an answer, he and a sheriff's deputy just showed up at McKnight's house, McKnight claimed.Once again, McKnight pressed Barker for "details," wanting to know why an FBI officer was so interested in him, but to no avail. Barker never divulged any details and left the property without much more conversation. McKnight soon hired a lawyer. Last week, he told his attorney to advise Barker that he would not be speaking with him.Blaze News reached out to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office to confirm that a deputy accompanied Barker on this visit. A representative said only that she found no record associated with McKnight's name. The representative did not respond after Blaze News attempted to find out whether there were any records associated with McKnight's address.'Right on the line'Because Barker was so tight-lipped about the purpose of his contacts with McKnight, McKnight is left to speculate about what that purpose might be. Since Barker apparently mentioned concerns about something McKnight "posted online," he cannot even be sure the issue stems from the private Telegram group. However, Barker also reportedly made contact with another member of the LNV, who indicated that the FBI "found something borderline threatening" in their messages.The other member then confirmed that Barker was focused on McKnight's "[redacted]" statement. Without actually crossing into threatening territory, the FBI suggested to McKnight's friend that those words in reference to the mosque were "right on the line.""Which indicates to me that it's not over the line," McKnight noted to Blaze News.RELATED: The idols and lies behind the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting Kumpol Pijadee/Getty ImagesTo the best of his knowledge, McKnight and his friend are the only two members of La Nouvelle Vendée who have been contacted by federal agents.McKnight does not know how the FBI became so familiar with his group and their conversations, whether Barker or another agent infiltrated the group chat or whether a group member with "a chip on their shoulder" aired grievances with the agency.In response to a request for comment, FBI New Orleans told Blaze News: "The FBI's mission is to protect our communities from potential threats while simultaneously upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans. We focus on individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security. We do not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including religious practices."The case also points to an apparently ongoing problem of FBI agents using weak pretenses to investigate faithful Catholics despite the change in leadership in the White House and on the Seventh Floor. Blaze News has reached out to Director Kash Patel for comment.Why is the FBI "snooping on my private chat of 43 Catholic men in South Louisiana?" McKnight wondered."I'm just a nobody," he added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

President Donald Trump's nomination of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Taibleson for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has prompted questions about the extent of her alignment with the administration's conservative values, particularly in light of her and her husband's political donations to Democrats.Trump's first term was undermined by several appointments that did not fully align with the administration's priorities, leading to setbacks in key legal battles and policy implementation. The president admitted that he received "bad advice ... on numerous Judicial Nominations," expressing that he was "very disappointed" with some of those picks.'She brings an exceptional legal mind and a firm dedication to interpreting the law as written, not bending it to fit a political agenda.'Mike Davis, a Trump ally and the founder of Article III Project, stated that the president's second administration would not make that same mistake again and instead would focus on selecting judges who are "even more bold and fearless" and have been "battle-tested."Trump announced Taibleson's nomination in August, writing in a social media post, "It is my Great Honor to nominate Rebecca Taibleson to serve as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals, for the Seventh Circuit, in the Great State of Wisconsin. Rebecca brings a wealth of EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS, from her time as Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and, formerly, as Assistant to the United States Solicitor General.""Rebecca has learned from some of the BEST and most HIGHLY RESPECTED Legal Minds in the Country, having clerked for United States Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Antonin Scalia. Rebecca will make a fantastic Judge who will fearlessly defend the Constitution, and strongly uphold the Rule of Law. Congratulations Rebecca!" Trump added.While Taibleson, 42, meets all legal qualifications, having earned her J.D. from Yale Law, her background raises questions about her political leanings. In fact, her conservative critics have been quick to highlight that she and her husband have a history of donating to Democrats.RELATED: Rogue judges voted to replace Trump-chosen US attorney Alina Habba. DOJ fights fire with fire. Roman Martinez, Sarah Pitlyk, Rebecca Taibleson, and Porter Wilkinson, former law clerks for Brett Kavanaugh. Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call Taibleson donated in 2022 to Joe Manchin, a former Democratic senator from West Virginia, through ActBlue, and in 2024 to Bridget Schoenborn, a judge nominated by Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. However, she also donated to Mike Gallagher, a former Republican representative, and WINRED in 2016 and 2020, respectively.Blaze News reached out to Taibleson for comment.Her husband, Benjamin Taibleson, contributed to Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign against Trump, Kamala Harris' Senate campaign in 2015, and Forrest Dunbar, a Democratic member of the Alaska Senate.Despite these donations to Democrats and other elements of her record that appear to her conservative critics at odds with the administration's priorities, Davis and the Article III Project have expressed their support for Taibleson."President Trump continues to deliver on his promise to appoint bold and fearless judges who will defend the Constitution and uphold the rule of law," Davis said. "His latest nomination of Rebecca Taibleson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a testament to his unwavering commitment to restoring a judiciary grounded in constitutional principles and judicial restraint. She brings an exceptional legal mind and a firm dedication to interpreting the law as written, not bending it to fit a political agenda.""As President Trump further reshapes the federal judiciary with judges who understand their role is to interpret the law, not make it, the Article III Project stands ready to support Taibleson through every step of the confirmation process. We are committed to ensuring the American people get the impartial, constitutionally faithful judges they deserve," Davis added.RELATED: 'Monumental victory': Trump applauds Supreme Court for disabling Democrats' biggest weapon Justice Antonin Scalia. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesTaibleson's conservative supporters have pointed to her experience working as a clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia and Judge Brett Kavanaugh, even advocating for Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination, as proof of her commitment to uphold similar values. However, critics dispute this claim, noting that Scalia was known for hiring counter-clerks, or politically liberal clerks, and that Kavanaugh has been suspected of employing a similar practice. For example, Department of Justice lawyer Danielle Sassoon opposed Trump's attempt to dismiss charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Law professor Rachel Barkow stated that Trump's "use of the pardon power is part of his effort to put the country on an authoritarian path." Former Judge Michael Luttig described Trump as "a clear and present danger to American democracy." Notably, all four individuals were former clerks for Scalia.Some of Taibleson's conservative supporters also point to her time with the Solicitor General's office beginning in the first Trump administration. However, she remained on with the Biden administration through 2022, including defending Biden's student loan forgiveness policy in a lawsuit brought by the Brown County Taxpayers Association.As Taibleson's confirmation process unfolds, various aspects of her record will likely spark ongoing debate about whether she fully embodies the bold constitutionalism Trump has pledged for his judicial nominees, or whether potential misalignments could mirror the challenges faced during his first term.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Fifteen Republicans who tried to overturn the election results in 2020 can breathe free after a Democrat-appointed judge dropped all charges against them on Tuesday.District Judge Kristen Simmons found that prosecutors did not produce enough evidence to support the eight counts of forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery that were filed against each defendant. A 16th elector involved in the operation had agreed to cooperate with the investigation in exchange for having the charges dropped.'Their goal is not a conviction, it is pure legal harassment.'The judge pointedly denied that the case involved election interference."I believe they were executing their constitutional right to seek redress," Simmons said, adding that the defendants "seriously believed" there were issues with the election.The Michigan Conservative Union released a statement applauding the decision."Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged everyday citizens who are farmers, grandmothers, and retirees with eight (8) felonies in July 2023. Their 'crime'? These citizens participated in the election process by ... serving as volunteer Republican presidential alternate electors in the 2020 election, supposedly to benefit Donald J. Trump," the statement given to Blaze News read in part.Co-defendant Meshawn Maddock accused the attorney general of legal harassment."Nessel is a legal thug," Maddock said. "We all knew from day one that we had done nothing illegal or wrong. Yes, we volunteered to be an alternate elector in support of Donald J. Trump. That is not a crime, as much as Nessel wanted it to be one. To corrupt politicians, lawfare is a 'win' when the punishment is the process. Their goal is not a conviction, it is pure legal harassment. Nessel's defeat today was epic."Marian Sheridan, another co-defendant, also decried the attorney general."Dana's alternate elector HOAX rightfully died today," she said. "It is a shame that this corrupt Attorney General got away with her political prosecution of 15 innocent Michigan citizens for over the past two years."The electors targeted in the prosecution included a former Republican National Committeewoman and a former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party."Alternate elector slates have been used for numerous previous presidential elections," continued the statement from the MCU. "These 15 Republicans were actually protecting Michigan from potentially losing its Electoral votes in the 2020 election by submitting a backup slate should the then-legally contested voting outcome be overturned."RELATED: Arizona grand jury indicts Republicans over effort to overturn 2020 election, including Giuliani, Meadows, and Jenna Ellis Attorney General Nessel said the ruling was "disappointing" and said her office is considering filing an appeal. "They knew they were not electors," Nessel said of the Republicans. "They knew Donald Trump lost, but then they lied anyway. And that is a crime.""They did it. They beat the AG, and justice has been served," wrote Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, on social media."These folks endured years of a political witch hunt, targeted by Democrats, drained financially, and pushed to the limit emotionally. Today, justice prevailed and they’ve finally been vindicated against political weaponization!" he added.Other attempted electors face similar charges in Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Arizona.Judge Simmons was appointed by Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2019.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who aspired to become a veterinarian assistant, was savagely murdered on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22. Her suspected killer was charged with first-degree murder but now faces a federal charge that could land him the death penalty.Footage of the slaying shows Zarutska enter a train on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, sit down in front of a black male in a red-hooded sweatshirt, and then look at her phone.'We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence.'The man behind her, who has been identified as repeat offender Decarlos Brown, can be seen in the footage taking what appears to be a small knife out of his pocket, standing up, then bringing the apparent blade down in a striking motion. The killer can subsequently be heard saying, "I got that white girl," surveillance footage appeared to reveal.A federal criminal complaint was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte, charging Brown with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.Attorney General Pam Bondi said in statement, "Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people.""I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute Decarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder," the attorney general continued. "We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man."RELATED: Van Jones claims there's 'NO EVIDENCE' of racial animus in Charlotte stabbing. Audio in murder footage suggests otherwise. AzmanL/Getty Images If convicted, the Department of Justice said that Brown could face life in prison or the death penalty.FBI Director Kash Patel, who indicated in an X post on Monday that the "FBI has been investigating the Charlotte train murder from day one," noted that "the brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America."'Federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems.'When pressed earlier Tuesday for comment on whether the FBI was treating Zarutska's murder as a hate crime, the FBI referred Blaze News to Patel's Monday statement and declined to add anything further.The federal criminal complaint reiterated that Zarutska died at the scene as the result of multiple stab wounds and noted that a pocketknife was collected from the scene.The complaint also indicated that Zarutska was stabbed just four minutes after she sat down. "This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life," said Russ Ferguson, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina."Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most — Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family. But crimes like this also affect everyone who relies on mass transportation to get to and from work and go about their daily lives, and federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems," Ferguson added.President Donald Trump noted in a Truth Social post on Monday that Zarutska's alleged killer "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."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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