WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 28: Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi attend the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 28, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
According to the San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, the man who allegedly attacked the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) at their home in San Francisco was doing so as part of a politically-motivated plan to hold her hostage and torture her.
David DePape was arrested early Friday morning after he broke into the Pelosi’s home by smashing the back door with a hammer.
Jenkins noted on Monday that “this house and the speaker herself were specifically targets,” and relayed that DePape asked where Nancy Pelosi was after waking Paul Pelosi up in his bedroom.
DePape was carrying zip-ties, tape and a rope in his backpack, and when Paul told him that Nancy wasn’t in the house he apparently indicated that he would wait for her and attempted to zip-tie Paul to the bed.
DePape is being charged with attempted murder and other charges on a state level, as well as federal charges of influencing or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member and attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official.
Jenkins said that DePape told investigators he saw Nancy Pelosi as the “leader of a pack of lies told by the Democratic Party,” and that he wished to break her kneecaps while holding her hostage to “show other members of Congress there were consequences to her actions.”
According to police, Paul was able to get his cell phone and call for help when he asked to use the restroom.
When authorities arrived minutes later, Pelosi and DePape were apparently struggling with the hammer and DePape was seen striking Paul at least once.
Paul has undergone surgery for a fractured skull and other injuries, but is in stable condition with Nancy saying in a statement that it will be a “long recovery process.”
Nancy Pelosi has been the subject of mounting right-wing conspiracies and vitriol as one of the most prominent Democrats in Congress who is frequently the target of political figures and candidates, as well as reporters on shows like Fox News.
When protesters swarmed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, many were heard chanting “Where’s Nancy?”
Her office was ransacked as well.
Several prominent GOP politicians and candidates have downplayed the attacks in recent days as well. Figures like Donald Trump Jr. and the Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake mocked Paul Pelosi in the wake of the news, and other right-wing sources have shared unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the attack.
Right wing talk show host called on listeners to post bail for DePape.
DePape is currently being held without bail and faces an arraignment on Tuesday to formally receive state charges for his crimes.
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