An assailant broke into the home of prominent US politician Nancy Pelosi and injured her 82-year-old husband with a hammer. The Speaker of the House of Representatives was not at home at the time. The post ranks third in the political hierarchy in the United States after the offices of President and Vice President.
The man threatened Paul Pelosi's life and demanded to see the Speaker of Parliament, her spokesman said on Friday. Her husband underwent surgery for a fractured skull and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. Doctors expected him to make a full recovery.
Pelosi is constantly protected by bodyguards. She was in Washington on Friday night while her husband stayed at the couple's San Francisco home.
Armed with a hammer
The 42-year-old attacker broke into the Pelosis' home in San Francisco on Friday night, police chief William Scott said. When police officers arrived, he repeatedly hit Paul Pelosi with a hammer in front of the officers. The attacker is in custody and the motive for the attack is being investigated, Scott said.
The attacker repeated "Where's Nancy?" called, wrote the "New York Times" and the "Washington Post", citing officials. US media found online profiles of the man, according to which he was interested in conspiracy theories, misinformation about the alleged danger of corona vaccines and Donald Trump's lies about fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
CNN reported that Paul Pelosi dialed 911 himself on his phone. He was not able to report the attack directly, but the employee on the emergency hotline heard what was happening in the background and sent the police. According to media reports, the man also wanted to tie down Paul Pelosi and wait for his wife to return.
Trump repeatedly called Pelosi "Crazy Nancy"
Democrat Pelosi is a frequent target of verbal attacks from the American political right. Ex-President Trump has been calling her "Crazy Nancy" for years and has made her a hate figure for his supporters over the years.
When the US Capitol was stormed on January 6, 2021, Trump's supporters searched for Pelosi and ransacked her office. Meanwhile, she tried to organize the protection of the building from a safe place, as recently published videos showed. In the current campaign for the congressional elections on November 8, radical Republicans are targeting their opponents for their alleged closeness to Pelosi.
On Friday, prominent Republicans condemned Trump's Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is said to have privately contacted Pelosi. Trump posted on his Twitter copy Truth Social but did not comment on the attack.
