In a recent turn of events, authorities have arrested two teenagers in connection with the assault of a White House employee, which alarmed President Donald Trump right before his decision to send National Guard troops to Washington kicked in.
The two suspects, 19-year-old Laurence Cotton-Powell and 18-year-old Anthony Taylor, now face charges stemming from the August attack on Edward Coristine, who works for the administration’s DOGE initiative. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, confirmed the arrests on Monday.
This incident is compounded by a previous assault that occurred shortly before the attack on Coristine. Recently, two juveniles linked to the case were given probation sentences for their involvement, which ignited criticism from Trump.
According to reports, a group confronted Coristine and a female companion near Logan Circle in D.C., where they attempted to rob them, resulting in Coristine being left injured and bloodied.
In response to the uptick in crime and as part of strategies for safeguarding the community, the incident seemingly spurred Trump’s decision to send federal troops to Washington D.C. District officials, meanwhile, have expressed their support for the National Guard deployment and applauded the recent arrests.
During a press conference alongside Pirro, Chief of Police Pamela Smith stated, “This is a prime example of our ongoing collaborations and our mutual aim to eliminate individuals who threaten our community.”
Cotton-Powell and Taylor face serious accusations, including robbery, assault, and carjacking. They appeared in court for the first time on Monday but opted not to enter pleas. Representatives for the duo did not respond to inquiries for comment.
Coristine was reportedly walking a woman to her car when he was approached by the group who assaulted him and demanded his car keys. Authorities confirmed that police arrived shortly, causing the assailants to flee.
Furthermore, the pair faces charges related to another assault that took place just minutes before the incident involving Coristine, who became widely recognized as “Big Balls” during the initial stages of the DOGE initiative, aimed at reducing government oversight.
Adding to the controversy, a 15-year-old boy and girl arrested on the evening of the attack received probation sentences as juveniles—a decision that provoked Trump to express his disapproval publicly.
“That’s terrible,” Trump stated last week, adding that the judge “should be ashamed.”
