Paul Pelosi, husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was attacked with a hammer in their San Francisco home by a male assailant on Oct. 28. The attacker was reportedly looking for Pelosi, but found her husband instead. 

“This was not a random act. This was intentional.” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said. He went on to say how the situation is very wrong and that elected officials are there to do business and take care of their respective areas and that they and their families did not sign up to be harmed. Authorities were still looking into the motive behind the attack. 

A student at the University who wished to remain anonymous said, “I was shocked when I heard this news. I cannot even imagine what he must have felt during that time.” Following the attack, Pelosi underwent surgery to repair severe skull fractures and severe injuries to his right arm and hands. Despite the extent of his injuries, doctors stated that they expected him to make a full recovery. 

The authorities identified 42-year-old David DePape as the primary suspect. He was said to have posted memes on Facebook about the inefficacy of COVID vaccines, political elections and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. DePape was not found in any federal databases. 

At the time of the attack, police arrived on the scene after Mr. Pelosi contacted 9-1-1. He was able to remain on the phone with the police throughout the incident, allowing them to hear what was going on at the residence. Law enforcement sources said that Mr. Pelosi was talking in code and trying to provide them with enough details so the operator could understand that something was not right in the home. 

On the evening of Oct. 28, authorities revealed what they witnessed in their response to the attack. The door was opened, and officers were able to observe both Pelosi and DePape. Each man had one hand on the hammer. Officers witnessed DePape pull the hammer away from Pelosi and violently attack him with it. The suspect was almost immediately disarmed by the police and taken into custody while backup and medical assistance were requested for Pelosi. 

Prosecutors said that DePape intended to take Nancy Pelosi hostage to “seriously harm her” and use these actions as a threat to other members of Congress according to The New York Times.

Due to the fact that Nancy Pelosi was away during the time of the attack, there was not as much security at the home as there normally would have been. The United States Capitol Police and law enforcement reviewed security cameras in the home to see if there was any possible video footage of the attack.

While many feel that the attack on Paul Pelosi was disgusting and horrible, including Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, many Republicans remained silent on the extreme nature of the attack. Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins and several other Republicans spread conspiracy theories about the attack and much of the GOP did not talk about it due to the political violence. Donald Trump Jr. posted a picture on social media of underwear, a hammer and a caption that read “Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready.”

A newer piece of information was released that DePape was in the United States illegally and could face deportation according to the Department of Homeland Security. DePape, a Canadian citizen, entered the country along the California-Mexico border on March 8, 2008. It was revealed on Oct. 31 by the United States Attorney’s Office and San Francisco District Attorney that he had been charged with assault, attempted murder and kidnapping following the attack. Republicans have also added DePape’s immigration status to their conspiracies and memes in an attempt to criticize President Biden’s policies on immigration. 

Because of the severity of his injuries, Pelosi remained in a San Francisco hospital for six days following the attack. He was released on Nov. 3 and Mrs. Pelosi said that her husband is at home, surrounded by family and remains under doctors’ care.