President Donald Trump has threatened to “federalize” Washington, D.C. after claiming violent crime is “out of control” in the capital, but police figures found rates had dropped 35 percent there in 2024.
Trump railed against violent crime in D.C. Tuesday after posting a photo of bloodied former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine, who was reportedly assaulted by a group of teenagers.
The president did not name Coristine on social media, but the teenager hired by Elon Musk was the victim of the attack referenced by Trump, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report obtained by the New York Post.
“Somebody from DOGE was very badly hurt last night,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. “A young man who was beat up by a bunch of thugs in DC. And either they're gonna straighten their act out in terms of government and in terms of protection of we're gonna have to federalize.”
Figures from the Metropolitan Police Department found that crime was down 35 percent in 2024 compared to 2023—a 30-year low. Preliminary numbers from the police found that violent crime was down 26 percent for 2025 so far.
“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday and shared the image of Coristine after the reported attack.
Former “first buddy” Musk shared Trump’s Truth Social post on X. The billionaire claimed that the staffer intervened after a group of men attempted to assault a woman, but did not name Coristine in his post.
“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,” Musk said. “It is time to federalize DC.”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
Nationally, violent crime has also dropped 4.5 percent in 2024, according to the FBI’s annual crime report, released Tuesday.
The report uses data from over 16,000 agencies across the country, covering 95.5 percent of the population.
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased an estimated 14.9 percent compared to 2023, according to the FBI’s report, while rape decreased an estimated 5.2 percent. Aggravated assault decreased by an estimated 3 percent, and robbery by an estimated 8.9 percent.
While the estimates on reported crime have decreased, violent crime occurred an average of every 25.9 seconds in 2024.
Still, the report’s overall findings appear to contradict statements made by Trump on the campaign trail that violence in the U.S. is out of control and on the rise.
“You can’t walk across the street to get a loaf of bread. You get shot, you get mugged, you get raped,” Trump said at a Michigan campaign event last August.
