Violent crime in the nation’s capital has struck close to home for a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer.
The Hill reported that in Washington, D.C.'s Logan Circle neighborhood, two 15-year-old teens were arrested for unarmed carjacking after allegedly attacking Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old software engineer once tied to President Trump’s DOGE initiative, while he protected a woman believed to be his significant other.
Around 3 a.m. EDT on a recent Sunday, Coristine and the woman were near a car when a group of teenagers approached with apparent intentions to take the vehicle.
Showing quick thinking, Coristine ushered his companion into the car for safety, readying himself to face the group alone.
That’s when things turned ugly—several of the teens allegedly pounced on him, delivering a brutal beating until local police, thankfully patrolling nearby, stepped in to break up the assault.
The attackers scattered on foot as officers closed in, but two of the 15-year-olds were apprehended and charged with unarmed carjacking.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who previously advised DOGE until his special role ended last year, took to his platform X to confirm the incident, stating, “A @Doge team member saw what was happening, ran to defend her and was severely beaten.”
Let’s unpack that—Musk’s words paint a picture of courage, but they also underscore a grim reality: even heroes pay a steep price when lawlessness lurks in D.C.’s shadows, and it’s high time the city prioritizes safety over soft-on-crime policies.
President Trump, never one to shy away from the issue, chimed in on Truth Social with a fiery call to action, saying, “They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them.”
Trump didn’t stop there, pushing for D.C. laws to change so teens as young as 14 could face adult prosecution and lengthy prison terms, a stance that’s sure to ruffle feathers among progressive policymakers.
While sharing a stark image of the injured staffer, Trump also warned, “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City.”
Now, let’s be real—federal intervention might sound drastic, but when violent crime targets even those tied to government reform efforts, isn’t it time to consider all options on the table?
Interestingly, district data shows crime in D.C. dropped 35% in 2024 compared to the prior year, hitting a 30-year low, with violent crime continuing to decline into this year.
Yet, incidents like this raise the question: if stats are improving, why do streets still feel like a gamble for law-abiding citizens, especially when a young man defending a woman gets pummeled in the process?
Coristine’s association with DOGE, a Trump-backed effort to slash federal waste, adds another layer to this story—his beating isn’t just a crime, it’s a symbolic jab at those fighting for government accountability, and that should concern every taxpayer who values reform over bureaucratic bloat.