What we know about the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Nancy Pelosi

(Trends Wide) — A 42-year-old man is accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, last week.

David DePape, the man who allegedly attacked Paul Pelosi, is expected to appear in a San Francisco court on Tuesday for an arraignment.

DePape faces a litany of state charges, including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Monday. These charges are in addition to the federal charges DePape faces, which include assault and attempted kidnapping.

“Obviously he’s been booked on these charges, we’re going to file our complaint, we expect him to be in court tomorrow, and that’s all I can say,” Jenkins said at a news conference Monday, adding that the previous arrests of DePape and the criminal record will be discussed in court on Tuesday.

Based on DePape’s statements, Jenkins said, it appears the attack was “politically motivated.”

“Yes, based on your statements and comments that were made in that house during your meeting with Mr. Pelosi, it appears that this was politically motivated,” he said.

DePape, according to court documents, told police he planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage, calling her a “leader of the pack of lies” promoted by Democrats.

Paul Pelosi is in steady recovery

Paul Pelosi is “making steady progress in what will be a long process of recovery,” Speaker Pelosi said in a statement Monday night.

“Since the horrific attack on Paul on Friday morning, we have been inundated with thousands of messages conveying concern, prayers and warm wishes. We are very grateful,” the statement said.

After the attack, Paul Pelosi underwent “successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” according to an earlier news release from Nancy Pelosi’s office.

Details of the criminal complaint after the chilling attack

The court filing related to the federal charges against DePape revealed the most detailed account yet of Paul Pelosi’s 911 call as the attack unfolded.

“Pelosi said words to the effect that there is a man in the house and that the man is going to wait for Pelosi’s wife. Pelosi further conveyed that he does not know who the man is. The man said his name is David,” an FBI agent said in an affidavit unsealed Monday.

Paul Pelosi called 911 at 2:23 a.m. PT Friday and police arrived at his home eight minutes later, according to the affidavit unsealed Monday.

“When the door was opened, Pelosi and DePape were holding a hammer in one hand and DePape had the other hand holding Pelosi’s forearm,” the affidavit says. “Pelosi greeted the agents. The agents asked them what was going on. DePape responded that everything was fine. Agents then asked Pelosi and DePape to drop the hammer.”

At that point, DePape allegedly withdrew the hammer and swung it around, striking Paul Pelosi in the head. Pelosi “appeared to be unconscious on the ground” after the hit, the affidavit says.

San Francisco Police and FBI Agents gather outside the home of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on October 28, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“DePape was prepared to detain and injure Speaker Pelosi when he entered Pelosi’s residence in the early hours of October 28, 2022,” the FBI agent said in the affidavit. “DePape had zip ties, duct tape, rope and at least one hammer with him that morning.”

Trends Wide previously reported that DePape confronted Paul Pelosi and asked where his wife was, yelling, “Where’s Nancy?” The Speaker of the House was not at home at the time of the attack.

According to the affidavit, “DePape stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her. If Nancy told DePape the ‘truth,’ he was going to let her go, and if she was ‘lying,’ she was going to break his ‘kneecaps’.”

“DePape was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth,'” the FBI affidavit said.

“There is no place for that in this country”

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas condemned the “violent and horrific attack” during an interview with Trends Wide’s Wolf Blitzer on Monday.

“There is no place for that in this country,” Mayorkas said in his first comments since last week’s attack, adding that it was difficult to label the incident “domestic terrorism” because of the legal implications of the term.

On the same day that Pelosi was attacked, federal officials warned in a joint assessment that domestic violent extremists pose a greater threat to the 2022 midterm elections.

Asked if he was worried about copycat attacks, Mayorkas said that domestic violent extremism is “one of the biggest terrorism-related threats” to the US, so they are on the alert.

Varied responses from the right

Some popular Republican figures appeared to downplay the attack, including Kari Lake, the Republican candidate in the Arizona gubernatorial race.

“It is not impossible to protect our children at school. They act like they are. Nancy Pelosi, well, she has protection when she’s in Washington; apparently her house doesn’t have much protection,” Lake said with a laugh at a Scottsdale campaign.

Donald Trump Jr., meanwhile, shared an image on social media of a hammer and a pair of underwear with the words “Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready.”

Still, several prominent Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have condemned the attack, though some others, including former President Donald Trump, have offered a more lukewarm response.

— Trends Wide’s Zachary Cohen, Marshall Cohen and Evan Perez contributed to this report.