President Donald Trump is once again sounding the alarm on rising lawlessness in Washington, D.C. — and this time, he’s threatening to take matters into his own hands.
In a fiery Truth Social post Monday, Trump said violent crime in the nation’s capital is out of control and warned city leaders that if they don’t get serious about public safety, he will federalize D.C. himself.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City,” Trump wrote, citing a series of violent attacks — the latest involving a young man widely known online as “Big Balls,” a former DOGE staffer who was viciously beaten after stepping in to save a woman from an attempted assault.
According to sources who spoke to Fox News Digital, the man in the bloodied photo Trump shared is Edward Coristine, the teen who made headlines working under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The attack happened late Sunday or early Monday and has quickly become a flashpoint in the national conversation about juvenile crime, gang violence, and the apparent collapse of accountability in D.C.
Trump didn’t mince words:
A few days ago, a gang of about a dozen young men tried to assault a woman in her car at night in DC.
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. pic.twitter.com/RPHKj7J3ti
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2025
Trump’s comments aren’t idle threats, either. D.C. is a federal district, not a state. That means Congress and the Executive Branch have the constitutional authority to override local control when deemed necessary. Trump has previously exercised similar powers during national protests and emergency responses. Now, he’s pushing to prosecute gang members and violent youth over the age of 14 as adults, arguing that the city’s current policies have created a culture of lawlessness.
It’s not hard to see why he’s fed up.
In recent months:
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A House staffer was carjacked in Navy Yard.
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Teens took over a public park, leading to hospitalizations.
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A congressional intern was killed in a drive-by shooting.
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A Metro police officer was stabbed in the face near the Capitol.
Despite the mounting violence, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. City Council have continued pushing soft-on-crime policies, earning the ire of not just Republicans, but also fed-up residents.
As Trump said Tuesday night:
“Either they’re going to straighten their act out… or we’re going to have to federalize and run it the way it’s supposed to be run.”
This isn’t just rhetoric. With violent crime soaring and the world watching, Trump appears ready to remind Washington that the federal government built this city — and can take it back if public safety isn’t restored.
