Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul was “violently assaulted” during a break-in at his San Francisco home early on Friday, authorities say.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott named the suspect as David Depape at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
He will be charged with attempted homicide, elder abuse and burglary, Mr Scott said.
He said police officers were called to the house and allegedly witnessed the intruder assault Mr Pelosi with a hammer.
Mr Pelosi has been taken to hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery, the House Speaker’s spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a statement.
Ms Pelosi was not home at the time, the spokesman said.
The Associated Press reported that the couple’s home was specifically targeted.
Before the assault occurred, the intruder reportedly confronted Mr Pelosi shouting: “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?”
“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” Mr Hammill added.
While it’s unclear what the assailant’s motive is, national security officials and law enforcement have been warning for some time about an increased threat of political violence leading into the midterm elections.
In the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade, Nicholas John Roske was arrested near the home of Brett Kavanaugh in June armed with a handgun, a knife, pepper spray and burglary tools.
Mr Roske later told police he wanted to kill the conservative justice, and has been charged with attempted murder.
In July, a man armed with a pistol was arrested near Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s home in Seattle after he allegedly yelled racist death threats at the congresswoman, who was home with her husband at the time.
The Department of Justice is also investigating a string of violent threats towards election workers ahead of the 8 November poll.
During her 35-year career in the House of Representatives, Ms Pelosi has been a lightning rod for attacks from her political opponents.
Attack ads by Republican candidates often seek to demonise the 82-year-old, who is second in line to the presidency after the vice president.
Security issues at Pelosi’s home
Ms Pelosi’s $6m home in an exclusive neighbourhood of San Francisco has been a frequent target of protests and vandalism in recent years.
In September 2020, a man filmed himself defecating on the driveway of Ms Pelosi’s home before posting it to YouTube, the New York Post reported.
“That was for President Trump,” he said after walking off camera.
The man, described in some reports as a “homeless YouTube star”, was detained by Bay Area Rapid Transit Police, after a request from the Capitol Police department.
On New Year’s Day 2021, the Pelosis awoke to find a severed pig’s head and red paint spilled over her driveway, according to TMZ.
Unknown assailants had spraypainted “2K” in an apparent reference to stimulus checks, along with the words “cancel rent” and “we want everything”.
In May, pro-choice activists from the group Ruth Sent Us targeted the Speaker’s home, demanding action on abortion rights after the leak of a draft Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade.
They accused Ms Pelosi of “careless and cowardly” leadership in the face of the Republican Party’s “scorched earth strategy.”
The couple have lived at the address, situated in Ms Pelosi’s 12th Congressional district of California, since 2007.
Suspect shouted ‘where is Nancy?’
San Francisco police say they were called to the Pelosi residence early on Friday where they found David Depape, a 42-year-old resident of Berkeley, California, threatening Mr Pelosi with a hammer.
Police chief Bill Scott told reporters at a press conference on Friday that the suspect “pulled the hammer away from Paul and violently attacked him with it”.
“Our officers immediately tackled the suspect disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid,” he said.
Two of Mr Depape’s relatives told CNN he was originally from British Columbia, Canada, and moved to California about 20 years ago.
CNN reported that Mr Depape raged on a since-deleted Facebook account about the 2020 election being stolen, made transphobic statements, and linked to false conspiracy theories about Covid vaccines being deadly.
He also falsely claimed that George Floyd’s death was due to a drug overdose.
Mr Depape’s associates in California told CNN that he had made a living selling hemp bracelets. They said he had grown increasingly radicalised and “out of touch with reality” in recent years,
Mr Scott said the suspect is being held at the San Francisco County Jail and will be arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and “several several other additional felonies”.
Hate from the right
Footage released by the January 6 committee at their final hearing in October showed Ms Pelosi huddled with lawmakers inside the Capitol as rioters breached the building.
At one point, a visibly angered Ms Pelosi says of President Donald Trump: “I’m gonna punch him out.”
Never one to waver from a fight, Ms Pelosi is Republican’s favourite election year villain.
During her first term as House Speaker from 2007 to 2011, Republicans spent $65m on ads targeting the California Congresswoman in the lead up to the 2010 midterms, according to an analysis from the Campaign Media Analysis Group.
Since she regained the Speaker’s gavel in 2019, Republicans have sought to tie their Democratic opponents closely to the Ms Pelosi due to the toxicity of her brand on the right in House and Senate races across the country.
In 2019, Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed support for Ms Pelosi’s execution in a Facebook Live video, according to CNN.
“She’s a traitor to our country, she’s guilty of treason,” Ms Greene said of Pelosi.
“She took an oath to protect American citizens and uphold our laws. And she gives aid and comfort to our enemies who illegally invade our land. That’s what treason is. And by our law representatives and senators can be kicked out and no longer serve in our government.
“And it’s, uh, it’s a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason.”
When called to testify about the remarks during a hearing challenging her candidacy for re-election, Ms Greene said she couldn’t recall making the statements.
Amid heightened security fears after the Capitol riots, Ms Pelosi insisted on installing metal detectors to screen members entering the House chamber.
When Ms Pelosi made a controversial trip to Taiwan in August, House Republican Matt Gaetz said he didn’t believe in “photo op foreign policy”.
Nancy Pelosi’s net wealth is estimated to be $110m, mostly derived from stock trades made by her husband.
Paul Pelosi’s DUI
In May, Paul Pelosi, 82, was arrested for drunk-driving after his Porsche was hit by a Jeep in a late-night collision in Napa.
A criminal complaint stated that Mr Pelosi was operating his vehicle “while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug and under their combined influence”.
Both vehicles sustained serious damage in the crash.
Mr Pelosi spent two nights in jail. In July, he was sentenced to five days in jail and he will receive credit for two days already served and two days for good behaviour.
He was ordered to serve a one-day court work programme, pay $1,700 in fines and serve three years probation.
The court also ordered an interlock ignition device to be installed on his vehicle for one year, restitution to remain in the court’s jurisdiction and his attendance in a three-month drinking-driver class.
What does it mean for the midterms?
Republicans have used fear of crime in Democratic-led cities as a successful wedge issue in the lead up to the 8 November midterms.
In competitive races in Wisconsin, Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania, Republicans have plunged tens of millions of dollars into branding their rivals as part of a “defund the police” Democrats.
NPR reported that Republicans spent $40m on crime-related political messaging in September alone.
Fox News wasted no time tying the attack on Mr Pelosi to the GOP talking points on crime.
In a clip shared by Matthew Gertz of Media Matters, anchor Bill Hemmer said the hammer attack showed that “crime hits everybody”.
“This can happen anywhere, crime is random and that’s why it’s such a significant part of this election story,” he said.
According to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll, 35 per cent of respondents said they trusted Republicans to do a better job on crime, compared to 22 per cent who favoured Democrats.
In San Francisco, voters overwhelmingly voted to recall the city’s liberal District Attorney Chesa Boudin in June.
