The attacker “demanded to see the Speaker of the House” and “threatened to kill” Paul Pelos, policy spokesman Drew Hamill later said.
Police said when officers arrived at the victim’s home in San Francisco shortly before 2:30 a.m. (0930 GMT), the assailant and Paul Pelosi were wrestling over a hammer.
“When officers arrived at the scene they encountered an adult male and Mrs. Pelosi’s husband, Paul,” Scott told reporters.
“Our agents observed that Mr. Pelosi and a suspect were both holding a hammer. The suspect pushed the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it,” causing head and body injuries.
The head of the House of Representatives, second in line to the presidency, was in Washington at the time.
Scott identified the shooter as David Depape, 42, and said he would be charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and other crimes.
Hammill added in a statement that the House Speaker’s husband, 82, was “receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery.”
President Joe Biden called Pelosi to express his support for the “horrible attack,” the White House reported.
“He is very happy because a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all forms of violence and asks that the family’s desire for privacy be respected,” Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said in a statement.
– “Outraged” –
The intruder entered through a sliding glass door, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The attacker displayed far-right ideals on social media, including covid-19 conspiracy theories, one of the officers told the newspaper.
The attack comes in a tumultuous year for Pelosi’s husband, who was convicted of driving under the influence after an accident in May and sentenced to five days in jail.
Less than two weeks before the mid-term elections in the United States, members of both parties have warned about the violence surrounding these elections.
According to Capitol Police, threats against lawmakers have more than doubled to more than 9,000 annually since 2017.
Members of both parties supported Pelosi on social media, with several suggesting the attack was a consequence of a rise in violent rhetoric in political discourse.
Adam Kinzinger, a Republican member of the House committee investigating the January 2021 assault on Capitol Hill, blamed conspiracy theories spread by Donald Trump and his far-right supporters.
“I want to be clear: when people are convinced that politicians rig elections, drink the blood of babies, etc, there will be violence. We must reject this,” he said.
The head of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise, said he was “outraged” by the attack.
