Paul Pelosi underwent surgery for a fractured skull and severe damage to his right arm and hands after an intruder with a hammer attacked him at his house.
Joe Biden referred to the assault on the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “despicable,” while San Francisco’s police chief stated that it was “not a random incident.”
Paul Pelosi, 82, is suffering from a fractured skull after an intruder struck him with a hammer on Friday.
David DePape allegedly broke into the couple’s San Francisco home at 2:30 a.m. while searching for the US House Speaker.
Officers were dispatched to the residence for a “wellness check” and found both males carrying the hammer when they arrived.
The guy then took the hammer from Mr. Pelosi and “violently assaulted” him with it before being subdued by police authorities.
At some point, the man yelled “Where is Nancy?” while searching for the Democratic leader. Whereabouts is Nancy?
Articles about QAnon
Initial investigations indicate that the suspect made racist and frequently rambling online posts, including those that echoed QAnon conspiracy theories.
In addition, he questioned the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and defended former president Donald Trump.
The 42-year-old grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, before moving to San Francisco 20 years ago to be with an older partner. The given street address for DePape in Berkeley, a college town in the Bay Area, is connected to a post office box at the UPS Store.
Friday morning, he was apprehended at the Pelosi residence.
On Friday, a motorcade said to be carrying Mrs. Pelosi arrived at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where her husband Paul is being treated.
She was in Washington at the time of the assault and returned to San Francisco International Airport via flight.
‘Despicable’
President Obama strongly condemned the assault on Mr. Pelosi and drew parallels between the assault on the husband of the House speaker and the Capitol Riots.
Friday evening at an event in Philadelphia, he stated that he had previously spoken with Mrs. Pelosi, who indicated that her husband was in “excellent spirits.”
He then addressed claims that the attacker echoed the “identical shout” heard during the disturbances on January 6, 2021.
Where’s Nancy?’ was the chant. Mr. Biden remarked, calling it “despicable.”
There is too much violence, political violence,” the president continued, implying that election denial and assertions that COVID-19 was a “hoax” had deteriorated the political climate.
Every person of decent conscience, regardless of their politics, must openly and unequivocally oppose the violence in our politics,” he stated.
Not an arbitrary act
Meanwhile, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott stated at a news conference that the attack on Mr. Pelosi at their house in San Francisco was “deliberate.”
He stated, “This was not an accident. This was deliberate. And it’s wrong.”
Mr. Scott declined to elaborate on a potential reason for the assault and stated that the inquiry is ongoing.
A spokeswoman stated that Mr. Pelosi was brought to the hospital and underwent surgery for a skull fracture and significant damage to his right arm and hands.
He is anticipated to make a complete recovery.
DePape has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary, and several more felonies.
His motivation is now unclear.
Drew Hammill, the spokesman for Mrs. Pelosi, stated that her husband had been accosted by “a violent intruder who threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker.”
“Heinous deed”
Mrs. Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the US House of Representatives and the second-in-line for the president, was in Washington, DC at the time, having just returned from a security summit in Europe.
If she had been present, her security detail would have been present, but Mr. Pelosi does not qualify for this protection on his own.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued the following statement: “What occurred to Paul Pelosi was a heinous act.
“I called Speaker Pelosi this morning and extended my deepest condolences to her husband and their family, as well as my best wishes for his rapid recovery,”
After the incident, the White House issued a statement stating that “the president is praying for Paul Pelosi and Speaker Pelosi’s entire family” and that he was “extremely pleased” that a full recovery was anticipated.
The FBI, Capitol Police, and San Francisco police are investigating the attack.
Nearly two years after the Capitol uprising in January 2021, during which Mrs. Pelosi’s office was destroyed, there is growing anxiety over the safety of American lawmakers.
In 2018, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of both parties of Congress, an almost threefold increase from 2017.
