Teen DOGE staffer 'Big Balls' has left the Trump administration
One of the most talked-about staff members of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency has left the federal government, continuing a stream of DOGE-related departures.
Edward Coristine, the 19-year-old nicknamed 'Big Balls' who joined DOGE as one of its original staffers, has left his job and the administration entirely, a White House spokesperson said Tuesday. The spokesperson did not provide details.
An account under Coristine's name on X, verified by NBC News, also said that he had left.
Coristine drew wide attention not only because of his nickname but also because of his youthfulness and his job history, having previously been fired from an internship at a cybersecurity firm for leaking company secrets, according to Bloomberg News. Wired magazine earlier reported his departure from the Trump administration.
His age and lack of experience came to symbolize DOGE for many of its critics, including federal workers and congressional Democrats who said it was acting recklessly in its quest to slash spending.
Coristine did not respond to an emailed request for comment Tuesday. The circumstances of his departure were not immediately clear.
He is the latest DOGE staffer to leave the Trump administration — a list that includes tech billionaire Elon Musk, who departed the White House late last month and launched a short-lived feud against President Donald Trump. Others who have left include Musk chief aide Steve Davis, according to The Wall Street Journal, and Amanda Scales, an employee of Musk's artificial intelligence startup, xAI, according to TechCrunch.
On X, the account under Coristine's name said that he was 'officially out' and that he couldn't say much yet.
'Appreciate everyone who's reached out. Feels good to finally breathe again,' the account said, joking that he was moving on to running a cryptocurrency scam.
'I'll make a post explaining what happened soon,' the account said.
The same account said in February that he was starting a job at the State Department. Later that month, Coristine was listed in a directory as a senior adviser at the country's top cybersecurity agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security. When he left government, he was with the General Services Administration, the White House said.
In an interview with Fox News last month, Coristine asserted that there were 'no checks and no accountability' in federal spending, despite statements by budget watchdogs to the contrary.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
10 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Trump's state visit set for September due to King and US leader's busy diaries
The Times reported that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has gone against the wishes of the King by bringing Mr Trump's 'bells and whistles' state visit forward to September. The newspaper said the Palace had been hoping for a more leisurely approach building towards the state visit, amid concern over Mr Trump's threat to make Canada the US's 51st state. Charles, who is King of Canada, suggested in a letter personally delivered to Mr Trump by Sir Keir in the Oval Office in February that they might meet at Balmoral or Dumfries House Scotland first before the much grander state visit. But it is understood that, although all options were explored, there were logistical challenges surrounding an informal visit, with complexities in both the King and Mr Trump's diaries meaning a private meeting was not possible over the course of the summer months. The diary issues come despite the King heading to Scotland for his summer break each year, and Mr Trump being expected to visit his new, second golf course in Aberdeenshire when it opens this summer. It is said that the logistical reasons why the private meeting cannot precede the state visit are understood and appreciated by all parties. Formal planning for the official state visit has now begun. The Manu Regia, the hand-signed formal invitation from the monarch to Mr Trump for a second state visit, was hand-delivered last week by British representatives from the Washington embassy to the White House. A Palace aide said: 'His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the First Lady later this year.' The exact dates of Mr Trump's stay will be announced in due course, but September is said to be the most likely. The politician was already feted with a grand state visit to the UK, hosted by the late Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2019. Precedent for second-term US presidents who have already made a state visit is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama. But Mr Trump is being treated with an unprecedented second state visit for a US president, this time at Windsor. The Times suggested Sir Keir was hoping to prioritise his attempt to curry favour with Mr Trump and capitalise on the president's fascination with the royal family. A Number 10 spokesman said: 'It's a matter for the Palace.'
ITV News
17 minutes ago
- ITV News
Donald Trump's unprecedented second UK state visit to take place this year
The UK state visit of Donald Trump will happen this year, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The exact date is yet to be decided, but ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship understands that September is the "working assumption" for the visit. However a plannned meeting with King Charles, which was thought to have taken place Scotland in the summer, has now been cancelled for "diary reasons". UK prime minister Keir Starmer presented an invitation from King Charles to Trump on their first meeting after the US president's January inauguration at the White House. At the time Trump said it would be an "honour" to visit the "fantastic" country. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: 'His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the First Lady later this year.' The formal planning for the autumn trip is now underway after a hand-delivered invitation signed by King Charles was sent to the White House by the British Embassy in Washington DC. The occasion marks an unprecedented second state visit by a US president as the UK government is seeking to make the most of Trump's fondness for the Royal Family amid a volatile global picture. Trump's first visit took place in July 2028, where he met the late Queen at Windsor Castle and was hosted at a black-tie dinner by then prime minister Theresa May. He also enjoyed a few days at his his Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire.
South Wales Argus
22 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Starmer insists Nato committed to mutual defence as Trump casts doubt on support
Before Wednesday's Nato summit in The Hague, Mr Trump had told reporters on the flight from Washington it would depend 'on your definition' of Article 5, when asked if he would commit to collective defence. Nato's Article 5 commits all members of the alliance to come to the defence of each other if attacked. But speaking to broadcasters on the way into the summit, the Prime Minister said allies were 'absolutely committed to the importance of Nato, particularly in a very volatile world'. And before the meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday, Sir Keir appeared to be in deep conversation with Mr Trump. Sir Keir's message was repeated by Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte, who opened the summit meeting with the words: 'Our joint commitment to Article 5, that an attack on one is an attack on all, sends a powerful message.' Standing next to Mr Trump, the secretary-general praised the US president for bringing about a commitment from the alliance to spend 5% of GDP on defence, telling him: 'You made this possible.' Earlier, Mr Rutte had described the US president as 'a man of strength' as well as a 'man of peace', praising him for securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Mr Trump also compared Israel and Iran to 'two kids in a school yard' fighting. 'They fight like hell. You can't stop them. Let them fight for about two, three minutes. Then it's easier to stop them,' he said. Mr Rutte added: 'Then daddy has to sometimes use strong language.' Mark Rutte, right, heaped praise on Donald Trump (Kin Cheung/PA) The UK has signed up to the new Nato spending target, pledging to spend 3.5% of GDP on 'core defence' and another 1.5% on security and resilience measures such as critical national infrastructure, border security and intelligence. But the Government does not expect to reach the target until 2035, three years after the 2032 deadline some allies were pushing for, and has not said how the increase will be funded. Alongside the commitment to increase defence spending, the UK has also announced its intention to purchase 12 new fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Billed as 'the biggest strengthening' of Britain's nuclear posture 'in a generation', the move will see the jets committed to a Nato mission that would see US nuclear bombs fitted to allied aircraft. It follows a recommendation from the strategic defence review, published earlier in June, to begin negotiations with the US and Nato on joining the alliance's nuclear mission. Following the announcement, Defence Secretary John Healey was seen speaking to his US counterpart Pete Hegseth on the margins of the Nato summit.
