SAN FRANCISCO: Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked and a suspect arrested during a break-in at his San Francisco home early Friday, authorities said.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, Pelosi’s office said.
The Democratic speaker, who is second in line to the US presidency, was in Washington with her security detail at the time of the attack, according to the US Capitol Police. Capital police said the motive for the attack is still under investigation.
The Associated Press reported that the attack was not random and that the attacker specifically targeted the home. The speaker’s office said that Paul Pelosi had been “violently assaulted.” The circumstances of the attack were unclear, including how the attacker entered the home.
Attack comes two weeks before the US midterm elections, with control of the Senate and House at stake.
The attack comes two weeks before the Nov. 8 midterm elections, with control of the House and Senate at stake.
San Francisco police said they responded to a home invasion and took a suspect into custody.
On Friday morning, police blocked off streets around Pelosi’s residence, a three-story red brick townhouse in the upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood.
Reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the investigation, that Paul Pelosi was being treated for bruises, severe swelling and other injuries after being severely beaten to the head and body by an assailant with a hammer.
Biden Called Pelosi.
According to White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre, President Joe Biden called Pelosi on Friday morning to express his support.
The Capitol Police, which is responsible for protecting Congress, said it was working with the FBI and San Francisco police on the investigation. New York City police have previously warned that extremists could target politicians, political events and polling sites ahead of the midterm elections.
Republicans are campaigning on concerns about violent crime as well as inflation and other quality-of-life issues.
As a Democratic leader in Washington and a longtime representative of one of America’s most liberal cities, Pelosi is a frequent target of Republican criticism and is often featured in attack ads. His office was ransacked on January 6, 2021, during an attack on the US Capitol by supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump, some of whom hunted him down during the attack.
According to media reports, in January 2021, her home was vandalized with graffiti reading “cancel the rent” and “we want everything” and a pig’s head was left in front of the garage.
In a politically polarized environment, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have reported receiving death threats and other harassment. A gunman angry with Trump shot and wounded five Republican members of Congress during a baseball practice in 2017, and Democrat Gabby Giffords was shot in the head during a public appearance in 2011.
Paul Pelosi, owner of a San Francisco-based real estate and venture capital firm, was convicted of drunken driving in May after being involved in an auto accident. He was sentenced to five days in jail in Napa County, California.
