President Donald Trump renewed his threat to federalize Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Aug. 5, after a member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was beaten in a carjacking attempt. Edward Coristine, 19, was swarmed by 10 young suspects outside his car, according to police.
Coristine is a software engineer who goes by the online pseudonym “Big Balls.”
Trump calls to federalize DC
Trump shared a picture of Coristine lying in the street bloody, battered and shirtless, declaring Washington’s crime was “totally out of control” despite falling crime rates.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the city,” Trump wrote.
Trump suggested the problem is young people failing to fear the consequences of the crimes they commit. The New York Times reported that juveniles account for most arrests in robberies and carjackings. This spring, Democratic Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced the establishment of a special law enforcement unit focused on preventing and addressing youth crime.
“The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14,” Trump said in his post.
The incident comes as young DOGE employees remain in Washington even after Elon Musk’s public clash with the president.
Coristine, now employed by the Social Security Administration, was reportedly involved in the effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He has not commented publicly.
15-year-olds arrested
Police have arrested a 15-year-old girl and boy from Maryland in connection with the carjacking. The attack happened Sunday morning in a wealthy neighborhood less than two miles from the White House. Both teenagers are now facing charges of unarmed carjacking. Investigators said they are still looking for other suspects.
Coristine’s account
Coristine told investigators he and his girlfriend were confronted by 10 young people. He said he shoved his girlfriend into the vehicle “for her safety” and then “turned to deal with the suspects” before being assaulted. Officers in the area reportedly disrupted the assault.
Trump did not mention Coristine’s identity in his Truth Social post. Musk also posted on X following the incident, echoing the president’s call, writing: “It is time to federalize D.C.”
Trump’s previous mentions of a federal takeover
Trump has floated the idea of a federal takeover of D.C. before, during the early weeks of his second term, and the idea has gained steam through legislation introduced by Republicans in Congress. Washington, D.C. has been self-governing since 1973, following the establishment of the Home Rule Act.
Enhanced federal law enforcement presence
The Trump administration has already expanded the federal government’s footprint in D.C. through a federal “D.C. Safe and Beautiful” task force created by executive order. Local police have worked with the task force to address crime and clean up graffiti.
The Washington Post also reports that the federal government has displaced people experiencing homelessness at 64 encampments since Trump signed the order.
What the numbers show
Assaults with dangerous weapons are down 19% from this same time last year, and robberies are down by 39%. There have also been 14 fewer murders, according to The Post.
The decrease in crime has also come with an increase in arrests. U.S. Park Police have made 806 arrests from January to June of this year, compared to 589 all of last year, according to a White House official who spoke to The Post. The arrests represent a 37% increase from 2024.
Bowser’s cooperation with Trump
The enhanced federal presence comes as the Bowser administration has been more willing to work with the White House this time around. Mayor Muriel Bowser even dismantled Black Lives Matter Plaza to avoid risking federal funding. She has credited more aggressive policing for the drop in crime, and made that decline a key point in her messaging to Trump’s transition team.
