Sen Rand Paul has come under fire for attacking Nancy Pelosi’s daughter in a tweet just hours after her father was violently attacked in his San Francisco home by a man with a hammer.
“No one deserves to be assaulted. Unlike Nancy Pelosi’s daughter who celebrated my assault, I condemn this attack and wish Mr Pelosi a speedy recovery,” the Kentucky senator tweeted on Friday.
San Francisco Police Department identified the suspect as 42-year-old David DePape.
Police Chief William Scott said during a press briefing on Friday that officers were dispatched at 2.27am and when they arrived on the scene, Mr DePape and Mr Pelosi were both seen holding a hammer.
The suspect pulled the hammer from Mr Pelosi and “violently assaulted him with it,” Mr Scott said.
The chief added that officers “immediately tackled” Mr DePape and took him into custody.
Mr Paul was attacked by a neighbour in November 2017 over a dispute concerning their yards, according to NBC News.
The senator suffered broken ribs and claimed to have flown 10 feet in the air after the neighbour slammed into him.
In March 2020, Christine Pelosi, daughter of the House speaker and Paul Pelosi, tweeted that Mr Paul’s neighbour “was right”.
The GOP senator was quickly blasted on Twitter for criticising the younger Ms Pelosi.
“That Rand can’t bring himself to either just say nothing or condemn the assault without resorting to whataboutism speaks volumes about him,” journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted.
“This tweet is an example of why no one felt sympathetic about Senator Badperm getting thrown around by his neighbor,” another Twitter user said.
“Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like getting beat up for being a shitty neighbor and getting attacked by someone who broke into your house trying to assassinate your wife are actually not the same thing,” a third person said.
“Even when he’s making a token effort to say something decent, he just can’t help being a repulsive s***head,” Charles Johnson added.
“Your neighbor was the most successful antifascist since Stalin and Eisenhower,” one Twitter user said.
“Rand Paul screaming ‘but what about meeeeeeeeee’ is on brand and revolting, as always,” Teri Carter said.
“Statements such as this explain why it happened to you. Your inability to extend compassion to someone else without centering yourself speaks volumes about your lack of empathy and flawed character. As a public official, you should do better,” Harold Nelson added.
“You were sooooo close to showing some actual grace and compassion....but oh well,” CNN’s Matt Dominick tweeted.
“Politicizing it and making it all about you is probably the s*** that got your a** beat huh,” another Twitter user said.
