House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband is recovering from successful surgery after being “violently assaulted” inside the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday morning, police and her office said.
According to people familiar with the situation, per The Associated Press, the intruder specifically targeted Pelosi's home and shouted, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" before attacking Paul Pelosi, 82, with a hammer.
What You Need To Know
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband is recovering from successful surgery after he was “violently assaulted” inside the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday morning, police and her office said
- According to people familiar with the situation, per The Associated Press, the intruder specifically targeted Pelosi's home and shouted, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" before attacking Paul Pelosi, 82, with a hammer; Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time of the attack, authorities said
- The suspect, identified by police as David DePape, 42, is in police custody, and the motive for the attack is under investigation
- Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a statement late Friday that Paul Pelosi "underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands"
The suspect, identified by police as David DePape, 42, is in police custody, and the motive for the attack is under investigation.
Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time of the attack, authorities said.
Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a statement late Friday that Paul Pelosi "underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands," adding that his doctors "expect a full recovery."
"The Speaker and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from friends, constituents and people around the country," the statement continued. "The Pelosi family is immensely grateful to Mr. Pelosi's entire medical team and the law enforcement officers who responded to the assault. The family appreciates respect for their privacy during this time."
Earlier in the day the AP, citing sources familiar, said Pelosi suffered blunt force trauma to his head and body and was being treated by doctors for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries.
San Francisco police Chief Bill Scott told reporters that officers were called to the Pelosi home around 2:30 a.m. When they entered, they saw DePape and Paul Pelosi “both holding a hammer.” DePape then pulled the hammer from Paul Pelosi and “violently assaulted” him with it before officers tackled and disarmed the suspect, according to Scott.
Both Paul Pelosi and DePape were transported to a local hospital for treatment, police said.
DePape will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several other felonies, Scott said.
The San Francisco Police Department’s Special Investigations Division is leading the probe and is working with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Capitol Police and San Francisco County District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
“I do want to commend the San Francisco Police Department for their immediate response to this home and for swiftly making sure that Mr. Pelosi was OK and that the suspect was apprehended,” Jenkins told reporters. “We are working closely with them right now with respect to the investigation, and we'll proceed with the appropriate charges as things unfold.”
Capitol Police said in a statement that special agents from their California field office arrived quickly on the scene and the department’s Threat Assessment Section was simultaneously dispatched from the East Coast to assist in the investigation.
President Joe Biden "is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi’s whole family," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
"This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack," Jean-Pierre said. "He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family’s desire for privacy be respected."
Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter that she and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, "are appalled by the attack on Paul Pelosi," adding, "The entire Pelosi family is in our hearts and we wish him a speedy recovery."
Paul Pelosi is a businessman who owns Financial Leasing Services, a real estate and venture capital investment and consulting firm. He and Nancy Pelosi have been married for 59 years. They have five grown children and nine grandchildren.
Pelosi was scheduled to be a featured speaker at the Human Rights Council's National Dinner event in Washington on Saturday. The HRC confirmed to Spectrum News that the speaker will not be attending the event.
"Our HRC family is thinking of Speaker Pelosi, her husband and her family — and sending love and support their way," the group's interim president, Joni Madison, wrote on Twitter.
While investigators have not said whether the attack was politically motivated, it comes nine days before the congressional midterm elections and amid increasing threats against members of Congress. Members of Congress have received additional dollars for security at their homes, but some have pushed for more protection as people have showed up at their homes.
According to Capitol Police, over the last five years threats against lawmakers have increased more than tenfold, to about 9,600 in 2021.
During the Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of then-President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol menacingly chanted, “Where’s Nancy?” They also ransacked and looted her office.
In July, a man who allegedly threatened to kill Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., was arrested outside her Seattle home with a semiautomatic handgun on a felony stalking charge.
That same month, a man attempted to stab Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., as he was campaigning for governor. Zeldin fought off his attacker and was not injured.
Rep. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told The New York Times in an article published earlier this month: “I wouldn’t be surprised if a senator or House member were killed,” Ms. Collins, a Republican serving her fifth term, said in an interview. “What started with abusive phone calls is now translating into active threats of violence and real violence.”
Collins said someone recently smashed a storm window at her home in Bangor, Maine.
Members of Congress on Friday expressed horror to the news of the attack on Paul Pelosi and offered him their best wishes for a speedy recovery.
“What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery.”
A spokesperson for House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told Spectrum News that McCarthy, R-Calif., "reached out to the Speaker to check in on Paul and said he's praying for a full recovery and is thankful they caught the assailant."
Former Vice President Mike Pence called the attack "an outrage."
"There can be no tolerance for violence against public officials or their families," Pence wrote in a Twitter post. "This man should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
"Our hearts are with the entire Pelosi family," Pence wrote. "We pray Paul will make a full recovery."
"Horrified and disgusted by the reports that Paul Pelosi was assaulted in his and Speaker Pelosi's home last night," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., wrote on Twitter. "Grateful to hear that Paul is on track to make a full recovery and that law enforcement including our stellar Capitol Police are on the case."
"Very upset to hear about the attack against Paul Pelosi," South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter. "This is despicable and we are all grateful that Paul is expected to fully recover. In America violence is never the answer for any grievance and every American should always be safe in their own home"
“My thoughts are with @SpeakerPelosi and her family, and my sincere hope is for a full, speedy recovery for her husband after this violent assault,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote on Twitter. “I'm thankful the suspect was apprehended.”
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., tweeted: “Thank God @SpeakerPelosi’s husband Paul is safe after being attacked in their home by an assailant. While the motive is still unknown we know where this kind of violence is sanctioned and modeled.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, posted on Twitter: “I wish Mr Pelosi well & pray for a quick recovery Everyone deserves 2b respected & violence is never okay.”
"I join in praying for Paul Pelosi’s full and quick recovery after the attack that occurred in San Francisco this morning," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md, on Twitter. "My thoughts are with the Speaker and the Pelosi family during this difficult time."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.