Full article text from huffpost.com:
An attacker broke into the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and assaulted her husband with a hammer, police said Friday. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said officers arrived at Pelosi’s house for a “well-being check” at around 2:27 a.m., where they saw Paul Pelosi and an adult male both holding a hammer. ADVERTISEMENT
“The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” Scott said. “Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup, and rendered medical aid.” Scott identified the suspect as a 42-year-old named David DePape. The man will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and burglary. Both Pelosi and DePape were taken to a hospital, Scott said. “Mr. Pelosi was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” Pelosi’s office said later on Friday. “His doctors expect a full recovery.” ADVERTISEMENT
DePape entered the home looking for the speaker, a source briefed on the assault told HuffPost, but she wasn’t there. Before the attack, the intruder confronted Paul Pelosi, saying, “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?” It’s eerily similar to what a Donald Trump supporter chanted as a mob searched for Nancy Pelosi during the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Rioters ransacked the speaker’s office that day. DePape’s internet presence suggests an obsession with far-right conspiracy theories, and some Democrats quickly condemned Republicans for the attack. ADVERTISEMENT
“Now is not a moment for timidity. Let’s be direct. Today’s violence seems to be the direct product of Big Lies from many Republicans and Republican propaganda organs about Democrats and American democracy,” Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) said in a release. “Turn on rightwing media on any given day or night. You will see frothing hosts shrieking unspeakable lies and unfounded conspiracy theories about women, religious and ethnic minorities, city residents, young people, and scores of others Americans,” Pascrell said. The U.S. Capitol Police announced that they and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are helping San Francisco police investigate the attack. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the attack “a dastardly act.” The White House said President Joe Biden called Nancy Pelosi to express support. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) also reached out to the speaker, NBC News reported. ADVERTISEMENT
The attack comes amid heightened concerns over both crime and political violence. Within minutes of Pelosi’s statement, a Fox News host described the attack as an example of how “crime hits everybody.” Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier, whose district includes part of San Francisco, suggested early on Friday that the attack could be political. “While the motive is still unknown we know where this kind of violence is sanctioned and modeled,” Speier wrote on Twitter. Nancy Pelosi is one of the best-known politicians in the country. She is also one of the most vilified Democrats in Republican campaigns, which invoke her name as a symbol of Beltway liberalism.
Wondering if this will compared in any way to the pelosi break in