Ex-DOGE staffer allegedly assaulted in D.C.; Trump floats taking over city

Former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine was allegedly assaulted in an attempted carjacking in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, according to police records obtained by CBS News — an incident that led President Trump to threaten to put the nation's capital under federal control.

19-year-old Coristine — who is known for his online moniker "Big Balls" — was allegedly surrounded and assaulted by a group of approximately 10 teenagers near his car early Sunday morning, according to a report from the Metropolitan Police Department. Two 15-year-olds were arrested and charged with unarmed carjacking.

Coristine and his significant other later told police that they "saw the suspects approach and make a comment about taking the vehicle," and "for her safety, he pushed his significant other … into the vehicle and turned to deal with the suspects," the police report said. Police officers who were patrolling the area spotted the incident and stepped out of their cruiser, leading most of the teens to flee on foot, but two of the assailants were stopped, identified by Coristine and arrested.

The two arrestees were identified by police only as a 15-year-old male and a 15-year-old female from Hyattsville, Maryland. Police said in a statement that "multiple suspects remain outstanding."

Emergency medical services did not transport anybody as part of the incident, D.C. Fire and EMS told CBS News.

A black iPhone 16 was also stolen, the report said.

Prior to the police report's release, Mr. Trump posted about the incident on Truth Social, sharing a photo of what appeared to be a bloodied "incredible young man" whom he said was "beaten mercilessly by local thugs." Billionaire Elon Musk — the former leader of DOGE — later said the victim was a member of DOGE. He wrote that the staffer spotted a group of people allegedly attempting to assault a young woman, and "ran to defend her and was severely beaten to the point of concussion," although Musk's description of the incident did not align with the police report and the extent of Coristine's injuries was unclear.

CBS News has reached out to Musk for comment.

Mr. Trump said crime in the nation's capital is "totally out of control" and called on authorities to "prosecute these 'minors' as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14."

The president also threatened to put D.C. under federal control if the city doesn't "get its act together, and quickly."

"If this continues, I am going to exert my powers, and FEDERALIZE this City," he wrote.

Mr. Trump has backed the idea of federalizing D.C. in the past. The Constitution gives Congress the power to govern the city, but since 1973, the federal government has allowed D.C. residents to elect a mayor and city council that handle most aspects of local government. The city's autonomy is still limited, with Congress maintaining the right to override local laws — and Congress could choose to repeal the city's 52-year-old self-rule.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for D.C., said in a statement: "It's time we start taking crime more seriously irrespective of the age of the criminal. No longer can we coddle young criminals while innocent victims are being assaulted and maimed and young criminals avoid consequences. It's time for this to end."

Coristine was one of the best-known members of Musk's DOGE team, which swept through the federal government earlier this year in an effort to cut government spending. He was involved in DOGE efforts at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Social Security Administration, Health and Human Services and other agencies.

Coristine resigned from the federal government in late June. He rejoined federal service days later as a special government employee with the Social Security Administration, which told CBS News at the time he would focus on "improving the functionality of the Social Security website."

In May, Coristine was part of a roundtable of DOGE employees who were interviewed alongside Elon Musk on Fox News' "Watters' World." He said his work involved looking at "payment computers" in the federal government.

Asked about his "Big Balls" pseudonym, Coristine explained that it was a tongue-in-cheek username he chose on LinkedIn.

"People on LinkedIn take themselves super seriously, and they're pretty averse to risk. And I was like, 'Well, I want to be neither of those things,'" he said.

Aaron Navarro contributed to this report.