Nancy Pelosi's husband was ‘violently assaulted’ during a home invasion, her office says
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was "violently assaulted" early Friday morning by an assailant who broke into their home in San Francisco, according to a statement from her office.
"Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi," the California Democrat's spokesman, Drew Hammill, said. "The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation."
"Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery," Hammill added.
The House speaker was not in San Francisco at the time of the attack, said the statement. Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the break-in with her protective detail, according to a separate statement released by U.S. Capitol Police.
"The speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," Hammill said.
The statement didn't provide any additional details about how the suspect broke into their home, how Pelosi's husband, 82, was attacked, or what injuries he might have sustained.
U.S. Capitol Police said that it's assisting the FBI and San Francisco Police with a joint investigation into the home invasion and said the "motivation for the attack is still under investigation." It also said special agents with the Capitol Police's California field office "quickly arrived on the scene while a team of investigators from the Department's Threat Assessment Section was simultaneously dispatched from the East Coast."
It's unclear what the motivation was for the break-in and assault, though national leaders have warned of the potential for political violence, especially with the 2022 midterm elections less than two weeks away.
Several lawmakers reacted to the incident, including Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who tweeted that she's glad Pelosi's husband is safe. "While the motive is still unknown we know where this kind of violence is sanctioned and modeled," she said.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tweeted, "I wish Mr Pelosi well & pray for a quick recovery Everyone deserves 2b respected & violence is never okay."
"I’m hoping and praying Paul Pelosi is ok. I’m outraged the Speaker and her family are going through this. This is cowardly, disgusting, and disgraceful," tweeted Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.
In August, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said a man called his office, repeating homophobic slurs and threatening to shoot and kill the congressman.
Swalwell, who has previously tweeted about threats to his office, wrote: "Bloodshed is coming."
Pelosi’s home was vandalized in Jan. 2021, just a few days before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as was the home of then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Pelosi’s garage door was defaced with phrases including “$2K,” “Cancel rent!” and “We want everything!” This came several days after Congress failed to approve a measure to increase coronavirus stimulus checks to $2,000.
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