Latest news with #EdwardCoristine
The Guardian
34 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump vows to ‘clean up' Washington DC crime despite sharp drop in violence
Donald Trump is expected to lay out plans to 'clean up' Washington DC's crime in a press conference on Monday morning, a boast that ignores a precipitous drop in the US capital's violence over the last 18 months. After the former General Services Administration staffer Edward Coristine – a 19-year-old on the so-called department of government efficiency team nicknamed 'Big Balls' – appeared to have been attacked by a group of young people last week near his car, Trump began discussing a return to federal control of the city and the use of national guard to quell street crime. The press conference will 'essentially, stop violent crime in Washington, D.C.', Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World. It will soon be one of the safest!!!' Violent crime in Washington DC has fallen sharply since 2023, shaking off pandemic increases to reach a 30-year low on the day Trump took office, and have fallen 26% further this year according to weekly reports from the Metropolitan police department. The change in crime rates is consistent with dramatic decreases in violence in large cities across the country. Nonetheless, Trump ordered a range of federal law enforcement agencies to deploy on to DC streets over the weekend in a surge. About 450 officers from the United States Capitol police, the Federal Protective Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies were present into the city's quadrants over the weekend. Again taking to social media on Sunday, Trump demanded that homeless residents of the capital flee before him, posting images of encampments ostensibly taken from his motorcade. 'The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday morning, shortly after being driven from the White House to his golf club in Virginia. 'We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.' This message follows an executive order Trump issued 24 July, demanding an end to federal support for Housing First policies that do not require sobriety or mental health compliance as a precondition for receiving housing, encouraging municipalities to remove public encampments of people experiencing homelessness and urging an increase in federal funding to municipalities that enforce laws prohibiting 'urban camping', 'loitering' and 'urban squatting'. Homelessness rates in the nation's capital have also been falling, with the most recent point-in-time count showing a decrease from 2024.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump rants about ‘crime, murder and death' in DC ahead of press conference: Live
President Donald Trump has announced that he will be holding a press conference at 10am ET (3pm GMT) on Monday morning to address what he says is the 'out of control' state of violent crime in Washington, D.C, a verdict not supported by the official figures. The nation's capital city 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World,' Trump wrote on Truth Social over the weekend, pledging: 'It will soon be one of the safest!!!' The White House announced a plan to utilize federal law enforcement on the streets of Washington on Thursday, an initiative seemingly motivated by the recent attack on former DOGE employee Edward Coristine, who was assaulted in an attempted carjacking. Trump has since insisted that D.C.'s homeless citizens must 'move out, IMMEDIATELY' to make the city more 'beautiful.' 'We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital,' he posted. 'The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong.' It has also been reported that the president is sending in 120 FBI agents on overnight shifts to help local law enforcement battle crime in the district.
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump teases DC crime initiative, orders homeless to move out ASAP
In a series of social media posts, Trump said he would unveil his initiative on Aug. 11, adding it would address the city's crime and the "Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital." The president threatened to "take Federal control" of Washington, D.C., in an Aug. 5 post complaining about crime. The post came after Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency nicknamed "BigBalls," was assaulted in an attempted carjacking. "Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control," Trump said on Aug. 5, adding: "If this continues, I am going to exert my powers, and FEDERALIZE this City." Days later, Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence on D.C. streets, led by officers from U.S. Park Police and including officers from about a dozen other agencies. Cruel and unusual punishment?: In major decision, Supreme Court allows cities to ban homeless camps Violent crime declined by 35% in D.C. in 2024, according to data compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police. The 2024 numbers marked the lowest level of violent crime in "over 30 years," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a news release. Homicides dropped by 32%, robberies were down 39% and armed carjackings were down 53%. Violent crime has declined so far in 2025, according to police data. Homicides and robberies are down 12% and 28%, respectively, while total violent crime is down 26% through Aug. 8 when compared with the same period in 2024. Homicides spiked in D.C. in 2023 to 274, up from 203 the year before, before dropping down to 187 in 2024, according to police data. That is the lowest level since the city had 166 homicides in 2019. There have been 99 homicides in 2025, compared to 112 during the same period last year. Trump has long denigrated Washington, D.C, which leans heavily Democratic. He also floated taking over governance of the district in February in comments to reporters, complaining about crime and homelessness. Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
President Trump orders federal law enforcement officers to patrol Washington, D.C. streets
WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence across the streets of Washington, D.C. for the next week as he railed against the city's crime rate and continued to float a federal takeover of the nation's capital. Trump directed the unspecified number of federal agents on the night of Thursday Aug. 7, just days after an assault on a high-profile staffer of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old nicknamed "Big Balls," was attacked by a group of teenagers during an early morning attempted carjacking last weekend. "The Crime situation in Washington, just like our Southern Border where ZERO Illegals entered in the last three months, will be a safe place very soon," Trump said in an Aug. 7 social media post that highlighted the attack on Coristine. "Thank you for your bravery and heart." More: Early DOGE staffer assaulted in DC during attempted carjacking Federal law enforcement officials will concentrate in high-trafficked tourist areas and "other known hotspots," the White House said. It will begin as a seven-day effort with an option for Trump to extend "as needed." The additional federal officers are to be identified in marked units, according to the White House. The increased federal law enforcement presence will be led by the U.S. Park Police, with officers from about a dozen other federal agencies also assisting. This includes the U.S. Capitol Police, the Amtrak Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The move follows an executive order Trump signed in March that established a "Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force" composed of federal department heads who were instructed to "maximize resources" to make the District of Columbia safe. 'Washington, D.C. is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. "President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. There will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C." Leavitt added that Trump is "committed to making our Nation's capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world." A spokeswoman for Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to comment. The White House pointed to several examples of violent crime in Washington this year including the May 21 fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a downtown museum (The suspect is from Chicago.) as well as the recent assault on Coristine. Nevertheless, Washington's crime rate is down this year compared to 2024. Violent crimes are 26% lower than last year. Homicides are down 12%, according to statistics compiled by the Metropolitian Police Department. Crime in Washington also fell from 2023 to 2024, with homicides dropping from 274 to 187. Carjacking declined about 50% but were still above pre-pandemic levels, according to the Washington Post. More: Trump says feds should 'take over' and govern Washington, D.C. Trump has long denigrated Washington, D.C, which leans heavily Democratic. Earlier in the week, Trump threatened to take over governance of the district if the crime situation isn't improved ‒ something he floated previously in February. "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 said in an Aug. 5 post on Truth Social. Such action would require approval by Congress. The District of Columbia is a federal enclave under jurisdiction of the U.S. government. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 gave the city local governance, including an elected mayor and city council. Two congressional Republicans, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, this month introduced legislation to repeal the Home Rule Act. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump orders deployment of federal law enforcement in Washington, D.C.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump has plenty of ways to make mischief for D.C.
Sunday morning's carjacking assault of 19-year-old Edward Coristine, a former U.S. DOGE Service staffer also known as 'Big Balls,' prompted President Donald Trump to once again threaten to federalize the D.C. police and bring in the National Guard because, he said, 'crime is ridiculous' in the District.
