House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says she and the rest of her family are “traumatized” by the disturbing hammer attack on her husband Paul early Friday morning, after an intruder broke into her San Francisco home looking for the speaker and found her husband.
“Yesterday morning, a violent man broke into our family home, demanded to confront me and brutally attacked my husband Paul,” she said in her first statement on the assault.
“Our children, our grandchildren, and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop. We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the lifesaving medical care he is receiving.”
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Paul Pelosi, 82, managed to call 911 during the break-in, alerting police. The suspect, David DePape, allegedly cracked him in the head with a hammer, fracturing his skull.
He underwent surgery on Friday, and his wife said “his condition continues to improve.”
The speaker was in Washington being protected by Capitol Police when DePape allegedly broke a window to get into the San Francisco home she shares with Paul.
“Where’s Nancy?” the assailant reportedly shouted.
Police say Paul Pelosi dialed 911 during the home invasion and left the call open so a dispatcher could hear what was happening—and that operator realized something was not right and prioritized a wellness check.
Officers arrived to find DePape and Pelosi struggling over a hammer before the suspect allegedly got the upper hand and struck at least one blow before being arrested.
DePape, 42, was booked for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, battery, burglary, and assaulting a public official. He is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday.
A personal website uncovered by The Daily Beast reveals DePape—who lives with a nudism activist—promoted a series of extreme right-wing opinions, including anti-LGBT sentiments, COVID disinformation and QAnon conspiracy theories.
Nancy Pelosi made no comment on the political views of the suspect, closing her statement with a Bible verse: “Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
But others have been more outspoken about how the toxic political environment is putting officials and their families in physical jeopardy.
“If our rhetoric about each other gets that mean, when we don’t just disagree with people, when we start demonizing them, making wild, crazy allegations about them, that creates a dangerous climate,” former President Barack Obama said at a Democratic rally in Detroit.
