A San Francisco judge on Tuesday ordered the man accused of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home, beating her husband and seeking to kidnap her, to be held without bail.
Adam Lipson, a lawyer for defendant David DePape, entered a not guilty plea on Depape's behalf during the brief hearing in Superior Court in San Francisco. It was the first public appearance since the early Friday attack for DePape, a fringe activist drawn to conspiracy theories.
The attack on 82-year-old Paul Pelosi sent shockwaves through the political world just days before the hotly contested midterm elections. Threats against lawmakers and election officials have been at all-time highs in this first nationwide election since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, and authorities have issued warning about rising extremism in the U.S.
The 42-year-old DePape faces state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse. The public defender’s office, which is representing him, did not immediately return a request for comment.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Monday had said prosecutors want to keep DePape behind bars because he poses “obvious and severe public safety risks.”
In Washington, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger provided a sobering update Tuesday of security protocols for members of Congress.
Manger said while many improvements have been made since the Capitol attack, including the hiring of nearly 280 officers by this yearend, "there is still a lot of work to do."
"We believe today's political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for members of Congress," he said
Manger said the attack on Pelosi's husband was "an alarming reminder of the dangerous threats elected officials and public figures face during today's contentious political climate."
Texas Rep. Al Green, a Democrat who represents parts of Houston, agreed, telling Spectrum News that he received a hateful voicemail just this past weekend. Green blames incendiary political rhetoric, intensified by the country’s deep partisan divide, for a surge in threats against members of Congress.
“I’ve had to wear a bulletproof vest, because of threats on my life," Green said. "I've had to have Texas Rangers protect me when I was in a parade because of threats on my life. These things are not commonplace, but they happen far too often and we should not tolerate them."
Speaker Pelosi was in Washington at the time, protected by her security detail, which does not extend to family members. She swiftly returned to San Francisco, where her husband was hospitalized and underwent surgery for a skull fracture and other injuries.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the assault on Paul Pelosi appeared to be premeditated, and she appealed to Americans to "tone down" the political rhetoric.
"It's very sad to see that we are once again at a point in history where people believe that it's okay to express their political sentiments through violence," Jenkins said. "I think it really demonstrates that we have to calm things down."
Paul Pelosi, 82, was attacked in the early morning hours last Friday by a man, later identified as DePape, who was wielding a hammer. The intruder specifically targeted Pelosi's home and shouted, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" before attacking Paul Pelosi with the hammer, authorities said.
DePape "had zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer with him that morning," and that he attacked Paul Pelosi with his own hammer, per court documents released by the Justice Department on Monday.
According to court documents, DePape allegedly said he sought to "hold Nancy hostage and talk to her."
"If Nancy were to tell DEPAPE the 'truth,' he would let her go, and if she 'lied,' he was going to break 'her kneecaps,'" the documents read. "DEPAPE was certain that Nancy would not have told the 'truth.'"
The complaint goes on to detail that "by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other members of Congress there were consequences to actions."
Police were dispatched to the home in the upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood around 2:20 a.m. Friday after Paul Pelosi placed a 911 call. DePape broke into the rear door and made his way upstairs to confront Paul Pelosi, police said. They arrived to see the two men struggling over a hammer, and then DePape struck Pelosi at least once before being tackled by officers.
DePape was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary in a gruesome attack that has amplified the toxic political climate ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections.