San Francisco: The husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was attacked and severely beaten with a hammer by an assailant who broke into the couple's San Francisco home early Friday, searching for the Democratic leader and shouting, Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?
The assault on the 82-year-old Paul Pelosi injected new uneasiness into the nation's already toxic political climate, just 11 days before the midterm elections.
It carried chilling echoes of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, when rioters chanted menacingly for the speaker as they rampaged through the halls trying to halt certification of Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump.
Speaker Pelosi, who was in Washington at the time of the California attack, arrived in San Francisco late Friday and went straight to the hospital where her husband was being treated for injuries.
This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it's wrong," said San Francisco Police Chief William Scott.
He said the emergency 911 dispatcher's intuition was lifesaving, and the police chief appeared to hold back emotion as strongly rejected the violence in politics.
Our elected officials are here to do the business of their cities and their counties and their states. Their families don't sign up for this, Scott said.
"Everybody should be disgusted about what happened this morning.
Forty-two-year-old David DePape was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary, and remained in the hospital late Friday, police said. Paul Pelosi underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, the speaker's office said. His doctors expect a full recovery.
Biden quickly called Speaker Pelosi with support and later delivered a full-throated condemnation of the despicable attack that he said had no place in America. There's too much violence, political violence. Too much hatred. Too much vitriol, Biden said Friday night at a Democratic rally in Pennsylvania.