The deadly stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail last month demonstrates everything President Donald Trump has warned about violent crime.The 34-year-old suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., had previously been arrested an astonishing 14 times. This career criminal, however, had been free to roam the streets thanks to Democrats controlling law enforcement in Charlotte at every level. Victims like Zarutska are sacrificed when crime goes unpunished. As President Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, I've seen firsthand how leadership can transform chaos into order. From building an all-new air traffic control system to cleaning up D.C.’s Union Station, we've proven American decline isn’t inevitable; it’s a choice. Nowhere is this clearer than in the fight against crime. So I formally launched an investigation into the Charlotte transportation authorities’ safety and security plans. But we’re not just looking at North Carolina.CHARLOTTE’S ‘PRO-CRIME’ POLICIES UNDER FIRE AS CAREER CRIMINAL CHARGED WITH KILLING COMMUTER: EXPERTAnarchy has infected transit networks everywhere. Americans see it every day. But Trump’s decisive actions in Washington, D.C., demonstrate how, with the right policies, we can reclaim our cities from the grip of disorder. We will not sit by and wait for the next Iryna. That’s why today, I’ve also reminded leaders in Boston and Chicago that federal dollars come with strings attached. If local leaders want federal funding, they will meet federal safety standards. The status quo is unacceptable. America’s patience has run out.Just last month, the president declared an emergency in our nation's capital, surging federal law enforcement officers to restore public safety. It was a direct response to skyrocketing crime rates that turned D.C. into a symbol of urban failure under years of Democratic mismanagement. By tapping agencies like the FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshals, and even deploying the National Guard, Trump showed crime isn't unstoppable — it's a policy failure to be reversed.The results speak for themselves: within weeks, violent crime dropped, encampments cleared and even D.C.'s Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser admitted the federal presence has helped. Trump's approach underscores a fundamental truth: crime and urban decay are choices. Leftist policies which prioritize criminals over victims — defunding police, lax prosecution and tolerance for open-air drug markets — have turned once-vibrant cities into war zones.Homelessness, too, isn't just a social ill; it's exacerbated by the same permissive attitudes that allow tents to block sidewalks and public parks to become havens for addiction and disorder. Trump's surge in Washington proves cracking down on debauchery and prioritizing public order can turn the tide.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONEven some Democrats are starting to realize this reality. Take Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, whose state has been plagued by Baltimore crime. For weeks, Moore sparred with the president over offers to send in the National Guard, calling the president's rhetoric "performative" while waving off federal help. Yet, just days ago, Moore did an about-face, ordering additional state police into Baltimore to fight local crime. He welcomed support from agencies like the FBI but drew the line at the Guard — perhaps to save face politically. Baltimore is a prime example of how blue-city policies have failed: high homicide rates, rampant drug use and homelessness that spills into streets, driving businesses and families away. Moore's move, while belated, implicitly concedes Trump's point: on-the-ground reinforcements work. If a leftist like Moore can admit the truth, why can't others?It's time for accountability. Trump's surge in D.C. isn't just a win for the capital; it's a blueprint for the nation. Governors like Moore are quietly adopting it because the American people have been force-fed blue pills long enough. Minorities are not falling for the routine lie that crime cannot be lowered, while Republicans who are trying to fix the problem are unrepentant racists. There’s a reason Trump nearly doubled his support among Black voters last fall and increased the Hispanic share by a third since 2020. They are waking up and liberal politicians had better wake up soon. Blue-state leaders must choose: continue enabling chaos, or follow Trump's lead and make safety a priority. Our cities deserve better than excuses. They deserve action.As we rebuild America's infrastructure under this administration, let's remember that safe streets are the foundation of prosperity. Crime is a blue pill choice — and it's one we can reject.