House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was hospitalized Friday after an assailant broke into the couple’s San Francisco home and reportedly attacked him with a hammer.
The attacker was later named by police as David DePape, 42, a conspiracy theorist who lived in the Berkeley area of California.
Spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement that Paul Pelosi, 82, was “violently assaulted,” but was expected to make a full recovery.
“The assailant is in custody and the motive for the attack is under investigation,” Hammill added.
CNN, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the male suspect used a hammer in the assault. The Associated Press, citing two people familiar with the investigation, reported that Pelosi’s home was targeted and that the attack was not random.
A neighbor told local news station KRON they believed the atack was targeted, saying: “It’s terrible, its very scary. I saw someone suspicious the other morning out here and I told police, so I’ll be interested to see a picture of [the man arrested].”
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott was scheduled to give an update on the attack and the investigation at 1pm ET.
Nancy Pelosi, also 82, was in Washington with her protective detail at the time, US Capitol Police confirmed in a separate statement. The department added that it was assisting San Francisco police with the investigation, along with the FBI.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that President Biden was “praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi’s whole family” and had called the House Speaker to “express his support.”
“The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family’s desire for privacy be respected,” Jean-Pierre added. Biden is spending this weekend at his home in Wilmington, Del.
Pelosi’s Republican opponent, John Dennis, tweeted that the attack on Paul Pelosi was an “appalling act that deserves condemnation and contempt.”
“No one has the right to violate another’s property, nor to initiate force on anyone else,” Dennis added. “The Pelosi’s [sic] are neighbors. My family and I wish a speedy recovery for Paul and swift justice for the assailant.”
The attack on Paul Pelosi came five months after he was arrested for DUI following a car crash in Napa County. He avoided jail time by pleading guilty to driving under the influence in August.
The disturbing assault also took place 11 days before the midterm elections, when Democrats are expected to lose control of the House of Representatives after four years in the majority — in part due to Republican candidates making an issue of rising crime in cities across the US.
In San Francisco, for example, police reported double-digit increases in homicide (17%), larceny thefts (21%) and thefts from vehicles (39%) in 2021 over 2020. In all, property crimes spiked 13% in 2021 over the previous year.
In a letter to her Democratic conference Wednesday, Pelosi emphasized “the importance of emphasizing Democrats’ unyielding commitment to public safety” — despite calls from left-wing activists over the past two years to “defund the police.”
“As Democrats, we believe that every American deserves to live in a safe community, which is a necessary foundation upon which America’s families can thrive,” the speaker wrote. “We have emphasized respect for those who serve and for those whom they serve: with accountability and transparency.”