‘Heartbroken and traumatized’: Nancy Pelosi responds to violent attack on her husband

In her first public statement about the brutal attack on her husband — in which she was the intended target — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told her congressional colleagues that she and her family were “heartbroken and traumatized” by Friday’s events. “Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop,” Pelosi said in the statement, which was addressed to members of the U.S. House of Representatives. “We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the lifesaving medical care he is receiving.” Early Friday, an intruder broke into the Pelosis’ hillside home in San Francisco’s exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood. In another development made public Sunday by The Associated Press, the man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband carried zip ties with him when he broke into the couple’s San Francisco home, according to a person briefed on the investigation, in what is the latest parallel to the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021.

The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the Pelosi case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday. The attack on Democratic leader’s 82-year-old husband, Paul Pelosi, less than two weeks before before the Nov. 8 election that will determine control of Congress was a jarring reminder of the nation’s toxic political climate. Authorities said David DePape, 42, attacked 82-year-old Paul Pelosi with a hammer after shouting, “Where is Nancy?” multiple times. Police arrived on the scene after being alerted by a call from Paul Pelosi, who managed to conceal the call from his attacker. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time but has since returned to California to be with her husband, according to news reports. The House speaker referred briefly to the attacker in her statement. “Yesterday morning, a violent man broke into our family home, demanded to confront me and brutally attacked my husband, Paul,” Pelosi said.