President Donald Trump is pictured walking to Marine One to depart the White House in May, with the Washington Monument in the background.
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President Trump said he is considering taking over the police force of Washington, D.C., after a former member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was injured in an attempted carjacking over the weekend.
“He went through a bad situation to put it mildly, and there’s too much of it. We’re going to do something about it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday evening. He also said, “That includes bringing in the National Guard, maybe very quickly, too.”
When asked whether the administration wants to overturn D.C.’s home rule — a form of limited self-government that the city has operated under for half a century — Trump said, “We’re going to look at that. In fact the lawyers are already studying it.”
The former DOGE staffer whose assault led to Trump’s remarks is Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old nicknamed “Big Balls.” Coristine worked for the General Services Administration (GSA) — where he was granted access to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services payment data — until his resignation in June, as NPR has reported.
According to a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) incident report shared with NPR, Coristine was standing with a woman near his car in an area of Logan Circle — a neighborhood in northwest D.C. — around 3 a.m. on Sunday when he was attacked by a group of “approximately ten juveniles.”
“He saw the suspects approach and make a comment about taking the vehicle,” the report reads. “At that point, for her safety, he pushed his significant other … into the vehicle and turned to deal with the suspects. The suspects then began to assault [Coristine].”
Most of the suspects fled on foot as patrolling police arrived, though the MPD said officers arrested two of them — both 15 years old — at the scene and charged them with unarmed carjacking. MPD also said Coristine was treated at the scene for injuries sustained in the assault.
In a Tuesday Truth Social post, Trump wrote that crime in D.C.
The situation with teenagers in the city is spiraling out of control, with reports of random attacks, muggings, maimings, and shootings of innocent citizens. It is imperative that these teenagers be prosecuted as adults to curb this violence. Safe and Beautiful” task force, which aims to address issues like public safety, cleanliness, and homelessness in the city. Critics argue that this task force is a way for Trump to assert more control over D.C. without actually repealing home rule.
So while the idea of repealing D.C.’s home rule may be politically challenging, Trump has already shown a willingness to exert federal control over the city in other ways. Whether or not he will push for full repeal remains to be seen.
The Safe and Beautiful Task Force, established to enforce federal immigration laws, restore public monuments, and remove graffiti, has been making headlines recently. The National Park Service cited the task force’s order as the reason for planning to reinstall a Confederate statue that was toppled by protesters in 2020.
In a broader context, the threat of President Trump using Congress to repeal home rule gives him leverage in negotiations with Washington D.C.’s mayor, Muriel Bowser. Bowser, despite being critical of Trump, has complied with some of his demands, such as clearing homeless encampments and removing a “Black Lives Matter” mural near the White House, under pressure from the administration and Congress.
Congress has the power to shape D.C.’s policies by attaching unrelated rules, known as “riders,” to federal appropriations bills. This was evident when the Senate voted to block a major overhaul of the city’s criminal code in 2023. These actions hinder D.C.’s ability to pass laws and policies that benefit its population, such as spending money on abortions or needle exchange programs.
Overall, the interplay between federal and local governments in Washington D.C. highlights the complexities of governing in the nation’s capital. The task force’s efforts, along with political dynamics and legislative restrictions, continue to impact the city’s autonomy and decision-making processes. original sentence in a different way:
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