President Donald Trump deployed 800 National Guard troops and federalised Washington DC’s police department on Monday, seizing unprecedented control over the capital after former DOGE staffer Edward “Big Balls” Coristine was brutally beaten in an attempted carjacking that left him bloodied and concussed.
The 19-year-old tech worker, who became a social media sensation for his work slashing government waste under Elon Musk, was attacked by a gang of teenagers near Logan Circle at 3am on 3 August whilst defending a woman identified as his girlfriend. Trump shared shocking photos of the bloodied victim on social media, declaring DC crime “totally out of control” despite police statistics showing violent crime has plummeted 26 per cent this year.
Standing alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at an extraordinary White House press conference, Trump announced what he called “Liberation Day” for the nation’s capital. We’re going to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor,” the president declared, invoking emergency powers under the 1973 Home Rule Act.
Federal Forces Take Over Streets as Mayor Powerless to Resist
The dramatic federal takeover saw DEA Administrator Terry Cole appointed as interim federal commissioner of DC’s Metropolitan Police Department, stripping local control from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed 120 federal agents were already patrolling city streets alongside Border Patrol and Drug Enforcement Agency officers in what witnesses described as an unprecedented show of federal force.
“Let me be crystal clear. Crime in DC is ending and ending today,” Attorney General Bondi announced from the podium. Defence Secretary Hegseth added that National Guard troops would begin “flowing into the streets” in coming weeks, transforming the capital into what critics called a militarised zone.
DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb immediately condemned the takeover as “unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful,” pointing to official police data showing violent crime at 30-year lows. There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia,” Schwalb stated, vowing to “consider all options” to challenge Trump’s actions in court.
Coristine Attack Sparks Presidential Fury
The brutal assault that triggered Trump’s response occurred when approximately ten teenagers approached Coristine and his girlfriend near their vehicle on Swann Street. According to police reports, the suspects demanded the car keys, prompting Coristine to push his girlfriend to safety before turning to confront the attackers.
“He thought he was dead with a broken nose and concussion,” Trump said of Coristine’s injuries. He was left dripping in blood.” The president claimed the young staffer was “beaten mercilessly by local thugs” and used the attack to paint DC as a warzone where teenagers “randomly attack, mug, maim and shoot innocent citizens.
Two 15-year-old suspects from Hyattsville, Maryland, were arrested at the scene as they attempted to flee when police arrived. DC Metro Police later released photos of a third suspect, described as a black male wearing a surgical mask and grey shirt, who remains at large.
Elon Musk, who previously led DOGE before his dramatic falling out with Trump in June, praised his former employee on social media. 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,” Musk wrote, though his account differed from official police reports.
Crime Statistics Tell Different Story
Despite Trump’s claims of out-of-control violence, Metropolitan Police Department data reveals a starkly different reality. Violent crime has dropped 26 per cent compared to last year, with robberies down 28 per cent and overall violent crime falling to levels not seen since the 1990s.
The statistics show homicides decreased from 274 in 2023 to 187 in 2024, with a further 11 per cent drop so far in 2025. Sex abuse crimes plummeted 49 per cent, whilst carjackings fell to their lowest monthly total since before the pandemic, recording just 16 incidents in July.
We are not experiencing a crime spike,” Mayor Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday, noting that 2024 saw the lowest violent crime rates in three decades. She pointed out that DC’s National Guard uniquely reports only to the president, making the capital vulnerable to federal intervention unavailable to states.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Trump’s appointee overseeing DC prosecutions, dismissed the statistics during a video address. “Our job is to get guns off the street, drugs off the street, take care of those individuals who are threatening, carjacking other people,” she declared. “If you don’t buy into it, you’re going to have to deal with us.”
From Tech Star to Political Lightning Rod
Coristine’s journey from Silicon Valley wunderkind to political flashpoint began when he joined Musk’s government efficiency crusade aged just 19. Known for his LinkedIn moniker “Big Balls,” which he explained was chosen to mock the platform’s “risk-averse” culture, the software engineer quickly became one of DOGE’s most visible figures.
During a Fox News appearance in May, Coristine described examining “payment computers” across federal agencies, working at the Social Security Administration, State Department, and Homeland Security. His high-profile role raised eyebrows among career diplomats concerned about his access to sensitive information.
The tech prodigy resigned from federal service in late June following Musk’s acrimonious departure from the Trump administration. He had recently joined the Social Security Administration to work on website improvements when the attack occurred.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene praised Coristine as “a HERO for sacrificing his own safety to defend a helpless woman,” whilst demanding federal intervention. Washington DC, our nation’s capital, is tragically one of the most dangerous cities in America,” she claimed, despite data showing numerous US cities have higher crime rates.
Constitutional Crisis Looms
Legal experts warned Trump’s actions could precipitate a constitutional crisis over DC’s limited self-governance. Under the Home Rule Act, the president can control DC police for 48 hours during emergencies, extending to 30 days with congressional notification. Any longer takeover requires legislation from Congress.
“We’re considering all of our options and will do what is necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents,” Schwalb stated, hinting at legal challenges ahead. The Free DC movement called the deployment “a massive vulnerability to our entire national democracy,” noting that deploying National Guard without local request would be illegal in any state.
Trump’s executive order declared the administration would maintain control “for the maximum period permitted,” whilst the president suggested Congress should explore permanently overturning Home Rule. The lawyers are already studying it,” Trump revealed, comparing his DC crackdown to immigration enforcement at the southern border.
The unprecedented federal intervention marks the most dramatic assertion of presidential power over the capital since Trump deployed thousands of federal police during 2020’s racial justice protests. Then, Mayor Bowser told congressional investigators she feared “we’re going to lose control of the city” as the administration floated similar takeover plans.
Youth Crime Debate Intensifies
Central to Trump’s justification is youth crime, with the president demanding prosecutors charge teenagers as young as 14 as adults. “They know they will be almost immediately released,” Trump claimed of juvenile offenders, calling for harsh crackdowns on “minors and gang members.”
DC police data shows roughly 900 juvenile arrests this year, actually 20 per cent fewer than last year, with about 200 involving violent crimes. The city implemented stricter youth curfews this summer following viral videos of teenage brawls, establishing four “juvenile curfew zones” with 8pm restrictions.
Critics pointed to research showing youths charged as adults are 34 per cent more likely to reoffend than those in juvenile systems. This is a policy that may sound tough on crime but actually undermines public safety,” said criminal justice reform advocates, citing CDC studies on youth recidivism.
The assault on Coristine follows other high-profile youth crime incidents, including a 14-year-old charged with killing a Lyft driver in a botched carjacking last year. A congressional intern was also fatally shot in crossfire last month, fuelling debates about juvenile justice despite overall crime decreases.
As federal forces flooded DC streets Monday night, residents reported seeing FBI agents conducting traffic stops alongside Border Patrol officers on U Street. Drug Enforcement Agency personnel stood guard in Dupont Circle in scenes reminiscent of military occupation rather than normal policing.
Trump warned other cities including Los Angeles, New York and Chicago to “self-clean up” or face similar federal intervention. “It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the border,” he promised, suggesting his DC takeover could become a model for asserting federal control over Democratic-led cities nationwide.
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