"BigBalls" proved his screenname was not idly chosen:

Mike
@MikeZ_TXVet82

Former D.O.G.E. staffer known as Big Balls is being called a Hero after he was assaulted over the weekend by a gang of 8 to 10 teens as he was protecting his female companion during an attempted carjacking in Washington, D.C.
He is recovering from a broken nose, a concussion, and a black eye.
We wish him a speedy recovery.

And now Trump is giving DC an ultimatum: Lock down the zoo you call a city or I'll do it for you.

President Trump warned Tuesday that Washington, D.C., could face federal takeover if city leaders fail to address rising youth crime. Calling the capital "out of control," Trump said he would have "no choice" but to intervene unless the city starts prosecuting violent juveniles as adults.

Key Details:

In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump slammed DC's crime crisis, demanding minors as young as 14 be tried as adults and "locked up for a long time."

The post included a graphic image of a man reportedly beaten by teens -- later identified as Edward Coristine, a former DOGE employee who intervened in an attempted assault and was attacked.

DC has imposed curfews and other measures, but juvenile crime remains rampant, with the city's youth arrest rate nearly double the national average.

Diving Deeper:

President Trump on Tuesday renewed his call to bring Washington, D.C., under federal control, citing what he called an "out of control" crime wave being driven by violent juveniles. "Local 'youths' and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens," Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that these teens act with impunity because "they will be almost immediately released."

"If D.C. doesn't get its act together," Trump warned, "we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City."

The president's post included an image of a young man bleeding from the face after reportedly being assaulted by teens -- an incident that now appears to involve Edward Coristine, a former staffer at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to a police report obtained by the New York Post, Coristine was downtown with his girlfriend Sunday morning when a group of juveniles approached them and reportedly "made a comment about taking the vehicle."

Coristine pushed the woman into the car to shield her, the report says, before confronting the teens himself. He was then assaulted. Officers arrived while the beating was still in progress and arrested two minors. Elon Musk also weighed in, calling Coristine "a hero" and blaming the city's leadership for the rise in lawlessness.

Trump's push comes amid growing frustration in the capital over youth violence. "We are seeing kids as young as nine and ten getting involved in carjackings," said Councilmember Robert White Jr. at a public town hall earlier this year. "It's not just isolated incidents. It's systemic."

Mayor Muriel Bowser has tried to curb the violence by instituting an 11 p.m. curfew for minors, with even earlier restrictions in high-crime areas. But with Washington's juvenile arrest rate nearly twice the national average -- roughly 2,235 arrests annually between 2016 and 2022 -- critics say the problem is far from solved.

Trump previously floated the idea of a federal takeover in February, telling reporters aboard Air Force One, "I think we should take over Washington, D.C. -- make it safe."