The man alleged to have attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is expected in a San Francisco court on Tuesday for his arraignment.
David DePape, 42, is facing 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.
“He has obviously been booked on these charges, we will file our complaint, we expect for him to be in court tomorrow, and that’s the most I can say,” Jenkins said in a news conference Monday, adding that DePape’s prior arrests and criminal history will be discussed in court Tuesday.
Based on DePape’s statements, Jenkins said, it appears the attack was “politically motivated.”
“Yes, it appears as though this was, based on his statements and comments that were made in that house during his encounter with Mr. Pelosi, that this was politically motivated,” she said.
DePape, according to court documents, told police he planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage, calling her the “leader of the pack of lies” promoted by the Democrats.
Paul Pelosi ‘making steady progress’ in recovery
Paul Pelosi is “making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process,” Speaker Pelosi said in a statement Monday evening.
“Since the horrific attack on Paul early Friday, we have been deluged with thousands of messages conveying concern, prayers and warm wishes. We are most grateful,” the statement said.
Following the attack, Paul Pelosi underwent “successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” according to a previous press release from Nancy Pelosi’s office.
Criminal complaint details chilling attack
The court filing related to the federal charges against DePape revealed the most detailed account yet of Paul Pelosi’s 911 call while the incident was unfolding.
“Pelosi stated words to the effect of there is a male in the home and that the male is going to wait for Pelosi’s wife. Pelosi further conveyed that he does not know who the male is. The male said his name is David,” an FBI agent said in a sworn affidavit that was unsealed Monday.
Paul Pelosi called 911 at 2:23 a.m. PT on Friday, and police arrived at his house eight minutes later, according to the affidavit unsealed Monday.
“When the door was opened, Pelosi and DePape were both holding a hammer with one hand and DePape had his other hand holding onto Pelosi’s forearm,” the affidavit said. “Pelosi greeted the officers. The officers asked them what was going on. DePape responded that everything was good. Officers then asked Pelosi and DePape to drop the hammer.”
At that moment, DePape allegedly pulled the hammer away and swung it, striking Paul Pelosi in the head. Pelosi “appeared to be unconscious on the ground” after the blow, the affidavit said.
“DePape was prepared to detain and injure Speaker Pelosi when he entered the Pelosi residence in the early morning of October 28, 2022,” the FBI agent said in the affidavit. “DePape had zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer with him that morning.”
CNN previously reported that DePape confronted Pelosi and asked where his wife was, shouting, “Where is Nancy?” The speaker was not 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 were to tell DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps.’”
“DePape was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth,’” the FBI affidavit said.
‘There’s no place for it in this country’
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas condemned the “horrific, violent attack,” during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Monday.
“There’s no place for it in this country,” Mayorkas said in his first remarks since the attack last week, 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 authorities warned in a joint assessment that domestic violent extremists pose a heightened threat to the 2022 midterm elections.
Asked if he was worried about copycat attacks, Mayorkas said, domestic violent extremism is “one of the greatest terrorism-related” threats to the US, noting that DHS tracks the threat environment and pushes information out to state and local law enforcement authorities, so they are alert to the threat.
Varied responses from the right
Some popular Republican figures appeared to make light of the attack, including Kari Lake, the GOP nominee in Arizona’s gubernatorial race.
“It is not impossible to protect our kids at school. They act like it is. Nancy Pelosi, well, she’s got protection when she’s in DC — apparently, her house doesn’t have a lot of protection,” Lake said to laughter 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 tepid response.
CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Marshall Cohen and Evan Perez contributed to this report.
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What we know about the attack on Paul Pelosi - CNN
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