Buried Deep In Liberal ‘Explainer’ On Crime Outrage Is One Quote That Actually Explains It All

“Crime is not a data thing — it’s a feeling thing.”

That’s the quote, courtesy of an anonymous adviser to President Donald Trump, that liberal blog Axios buried in its explainer Monday on how the horrific stabbing attack in Charlotte “fuels MAGA’s crime message.” (Subscribe to MR. RIGHT, a free weekly newsletter about modern masculinity)

The gruesome video of the fatal knife attack on Iryna Zarutska on a light-rail car in Charlotte is drawing attention from MAGA influencers seeking to elevate the issue of violent urban crime — and accuse mainstream media of under-covering shocking cases. https://t.co/OIj3FYfDLE

— Axios (@axios) September 8, 2025

On Friday, newly released surveillance footage showed the disturbing moment Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who moved to America for a safer life, was stabbed to death by a homeless ex-convict on a light rail train. Court records revealed Brown’s extensive criminal past, reaching back to 2011, with offenses such as robbery with a deadly weapon and larceny.

Axios pointed to social media, where the graphic video quickly went viral in recent days, as a driving force behind urban crime fears.

“The video is easily shared or leaked, and can instantly pollinate across social media — a visual counterpoint to statistics showing crime decreases,” reporter Marc Caputo wrote.

Caputo went on to note, like so many members of the liberal media have before him, “As Republicans have consistently highlighted crime, Democrats have accurately pointed out that violent crime rates have been decreasing since pre-pandemic highs.” (RELATED: Even Liberal Cities Are Cleaning Up Their Streets As Media, Democrats Complain About Trump)

Ah yes. How DARE Republicans be outraged by a woman being stabbed by a serial criminal on the metro!!!! pic.twitter.com/scfJO5FDNi

— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) September 8, 2025

The piece ended with a quote — buried, of course — that best sums up why Americans are apoplectic over urban crime and random attacks such as the one in Charlotte, and why out-of-touch Democrats are committing a strategic blunder when they brush off concerns by citing statistics.

“Crime is not a data thing — it’s a feeling thing,” a Trump adviser told the outlet. “Politicians don’t understand that it’s about how you feel when you walk on the subway platform. It’s not about whether you’re a victim. It’s about whether you feel you’re a victim or not.”

Statistics do not capture the feeling you get when you are sitting next to a strung-out schizophrenic on the subway. Statistics do not capture the feeling you get when having to walk around a homeless person defecating on the sidewalk. Nor do they capture the feeling of making sure not to step on the vagrant sleeping on your stoop as they unlock the door to your third floor walkup.

Safety in cities is as much about the visceral feeling of unease and constant, looming threats as it is about the random, horrific acts of violence that dominate news cycles almost weekly. No matter how many stats and data points get cited, the numbers will never fully capture the everyday reality for so many Americans living in urban areas.