Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was “violently” attacked in the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday morning, according to a statement from the speaker’s office.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for the Democratic speaker’s office, said in the statement that an assailant broke into the couple’s home and “violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi.”
A law enforcement source told The Times that Paul Pelosi, 82, was attacked with a hammer and sustained numerous upper-body blows.
The San Francisco Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to the 2600 block of Broadway for a home break-in at around 2:30 a.m. Friday.
The Police Department did not name Pelosi as the person inside the home or the victim of an attack.
“During the incident an 82 y/o male was attacked,” Sgt. Adam Lobsinger said. “The suspect was taken into custody. The victim was transported to a local hospital. SFPD Chief Scott will address the media at police HQ.”
Pelosi was taken to a hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery, Hammill said.
The motive for the attack is under investigation, Hammill said.
Nancy Pelosi was not in the city at the time of the attack, Hammill said.
“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” Hammill said in the statement.
President Biden spoke with Nancy Pelosi on Friday morning “to express his support after this horrible attack,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said in statement.
“The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi’s whole family,” the statement said. “The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family’s desire for privacy be respected.”
The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that it is assisting the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department in the investigation.
According to the Capitol Police, special agents with the agency arrived on scene, and investigators from the organization’s Threat Assessment Section have been sent to assist the FBI and the San Francisco police with the investigation.
The attack on Paul Pelosi comes 11 days ahead of the midterm election. Nancy Pelosi has been in campaign mode, raising millions for candidates and pushing to maintain the majority hold Democrats have on the House as the party’s power hangs in the balance.
Although the motive for the assault remains a mystery, the violence has sparked alarm in part because of heightened concern about the safety of public officials, particularly in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, where Nancy Pelosi was one of the targets.
Politicians and other officials have experienced increasing threats of political violence.
In June, a Simi Valley man was charged with attempted murder of a Supreme Court justice of the United States after being found with a gun, knife and pepper spray near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh in Maryland.
On Twitter, Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator and former Republican presidential nominee John McCain said Friday that she felt “absolutely sick, horrified and disgusted” about the news of Paul Pelosi.
“What in God’s name is happening in this country?! Everyone join me and send support, love, prayers, anything you can to Speaker Pelosi, her husband and the entire Pelosi family,” McCain wrote. “This is a broken world.”
