Two teenagers were arrested for the attack on a former DOGE employee that caught the attention of President Trump.
The Metropolitan Police Department said two 15-year-olds from Maryland were charged with unarmed carjacking in the incident that saw Edward Coristine, the Department of Government Efficiency staffer known as “Big Balls,” attacked and bloodied.
The report said the incident happened around 3 a.m. Sunday in the District’s Logan Circle neighborhood and that other teens were involved but fled once police arrived. The youngsters tried to carjack the vehicle connected to Mr. Coristine and a woman, who police said was his significant other.
Mr. Coristine pushed the woman into the vehicle for her safety after the teens made threats about taking the car. Several of the kids then attacked him until police arrived.
Mr. Trump, who has continuously railed against D.C.’s crime, took to social media for a lengthy post about the incident, adding a picture of the bloodied Mr. Coristine.
The president said D.C.’s laws should make it so that teenagers 14 and older who commit crimes are charged as adults, and he threatened a federal takeover of the city if things don’t change.
“Local ’youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time that they will almost immediately be released,” the president said.
“They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” Mr. Trump said. “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. The most recent victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.”
Elon Musk, the former head of DOGE, also responded to the attack, calling for D.C. to be federalized.
“A few days ago, a gang of about a dozen young men tried to assault a woman in her car at night in DC,” Mr. Musk said. “A @Doge team member saw what was happening, ran to defend her and was severely beaten to the point of concussion, but he saved her.”
According to data from the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime is down in 2025 compared with other years.
The MPD release said the case is under investigation by the Carjacking Task Force, with police searching for the remaining suspects.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
