Donald Trump is on the defence after his third criminal indictment was handed to him this past week, lashing out at several people, including Nancy Pelosi, for providing commentary on his federal charges.
The ex-president didn’t hold back against Ms Pelosi in a post on Truth Social on Sunday after the ex-speaker of the house said Mr Trump looked like a “scared puppy” attending his arraignment last week.
“I purposely didn’t comment on Nancy Pelosi’s very weird story concerning her husband, but now I can because she said something about me, with glee, that was really quite vicious,” Mr Trump wrote.
Ms Pelosi told MSNBC on Friday that when she saw Mr Trump emerge from his car for the arraignment in Washington DC she saw “a scared puppy” who “knows the truth that he lost the election”.
Mr Trump appeared in federal court on Thursday to face four charges related to his alleged efforts and conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results.
The ex-president responded to Ms Pelosi’s comments, saying that he wasn’t “scared” of his arraignment and he thought her comment was “mean.”
“She is a Wicked Witch whose husbands journey from hell starts and finishes with her. She is a sick & demented psycho who will someday live in HELL!” Mr Trump continued.
Mr Trump’s comment was a reference to Ms Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, who was attacked in his own home by an intruder last year. The intruder and attacker, later identified as David DePape, intended to take Ms Pelosi hostage and interrogate her.
During the attack, Mr Pelosi sustained several serious injuries to his skull, arm and hand.
Reports found Mr DePape was entangled with far-right rhetoric online. Some of his views included subscribing to Mr Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Those claims are what have landed Mr Trump with a third criminal, and second federal, indictment. Mr Trump has been charged with conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy against rights and obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct, an official proceeding.
The charges stem from his alleged conspiracy to unlawfully change the results of the 2020 election in his favour. Ultimately Mr Trump’s claims of election fraud led to the January 6 riot that saw a mob of Trump supporters storm the Capitol building.
Ms Pelosi was a target of rioters that day – some of who entered her office unlawfully.
Following his arraignment, Mr Trump has spent time on his social media platform launching attacks on those who criticise him. Besides Ms Pelosi, the ex-president has attacked Mike Pence, Special Counsel Jack Smith, prosecutors in the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the judge presiding over his case.