Ex-DOGE Staffer From New Canaan Assaulted In D.C. Carjacking Attempt: Reports

NEW CANAAN, CT — A man from New Canaan who is a former staffer in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was assaulted during a carjacking in Washington, D.C., in the early morning hours of Aug. 3, according to media reports.

Following the incident, President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social and threatened to "take federal control" of Washington, D.C. to stop violent crime.

According to WIRED, police identified the victim in the carjacking incident as Edward Coristine, 19, also known as "Big Balls," a software engineer who was one of the the first hires at DOGE earlier this year. Another person, described as Coristine's "significant other," was present at the time of the assault, WIRED said, citing police reports.

The Aug. 3 carjacking occurred when suspects approached the victims and demanded the car they were standing next to in the 1400 block of Swann Street NW, NBC Washington reported, adding the suspects then assaulted one person. The New York Times reported 10 young people were involved.

A 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl from Maryland were later charged in connection with the incident, NBC Washington reported.

On Tuesday, Trump posted a photo to Truth Social that appeared to show Coristine covered in blood. Trump said the victim was recently "beaten mercilessly by local thugs."

"Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. 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 knowing that they will be almost immediately released," Trump posted. "They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now! 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 Washington, D.C. "must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and, importantly, for the World to see."

"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," Trump added.

At an event at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said a DOGE staffer was "very badly beaten" recently, and he reiterated a potential need to "federalize" the nation's capital.

Coristine is a New Canaan native who spent three months last summer at Neuralink, one of Elon Musk's companies, before being hired at DOGE this year.

Musk helped lead DOGE, which was tasked with "modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity," according to the White House.

The department has faced criticism, with questions raised about its staffing cuts and controversy over its access to private information at government agencies.

Musk left the White House and Trump administration in May. The New York Times reported in June that Coristine left DOGE and took a position in the Social Security Administration.

Musk, who has sparred with Trump in recent months, also posted about the assault on his social media platform, X, and agreed with taking federal control of Washington, D.C.

"A few days ago, a gang of about a dozen young men tried to assault a woman in her car at night in DC.," Musk posted on Tuesday. "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. It is time to federalize DC."

Read more from WIRED, NBC Washington, and The New York Times