The husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in surgery to control bleeding on his brain after he was assaulted in his home early Friday.
Mr. Pelosi, 82, suffered blunt force trauma to his head and body during the 2:37 a.m. attack, according to reports. He is expected to recover.
The suspect who violently attacked Mr. Pelosi was looking for his wife, police said.
The intruder confronted Mr. Pelosi and yelled: “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?”
The suspect was identified as 42-year-old David Depape who smashed sliding glass doors at the back of the house to gain entry, police said.
Police responding to an alarm found both men struggling over the hammer. Depape then began hitting Pelosi in the head with the hammer before he was tackled by police.
Depape’s social media showed he posted conservative beliefs such as questioning the 2020 election and the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Biden called House Speaker Pelosi Friday morning to express his support and condemn the attack. “The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi’s whole family,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement.
Nancy Pelosi, who has been on the campaign trail with Democrats in recent days, was not in San Francisco at the time of the assault.
She is currently in Washington, DC where she owns a 2,325 square foot condominium in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC valued at more than $3 million. She also owns a sprawling mansion and vineyard in Saint Helena, CA.
As Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has a full-time security detail with her 24-hours a day. Her husband does not have federal protection.
California’s progressive soft on crime policies make the state appealing to violent criminals. 2021 marked the state’s deadliest year since 2007.
