Live updates: Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s husband, attacked at couple’s home | CNN Politics

Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s husband, attacked at couple’s home

A heart shaped sculpture and a light on are seen inside a window of the home of Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Paul Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Hear details from Paul Pelosi's coded 911 call that led to his rescue
01:58 - Source: CNN

What we covered here

  • Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer at the couple’s San Francisco home.
  • The intruder shouted “Where is Nancy?” and said he was going to wait for the speaker to return home, according to a source briefed on the attack.
  • Pelosi, 82, underwent surgery for a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to a statement from the speaker’s office.
  • President Joe Biden described the attack as “despicable” and directly tied it to growing strains of rightwing extremism.
  • The suspect, David DePape, faces multiple felony charges, including attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon.

Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the attack on Paul Pelosi in the posts below.

38 Posts

Suspect in Paul Pelosi attack expected to be arraigned Tuesday

The man alleged to have attacked Paul Pelosi on Friday morning is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins tweeted Friday evening.

 David DePape is accused of entering Pelosi’s house and hitting him with a hammer.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the suspect is still in the hospital, as of Friday night, but will be booked into jail on felony charges.

San Francisco police ask for tips about the attack on Paul Pelosi

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott speaks with reporters about the break in and attack at the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on October 28.

Authorities in San Francisco are appealing to the public to provide tips regarding the attack against Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444. People can also text TIP411 and begin a message with the police department, the statement said.

“You may remain anonymous,” police said.

Police chief praises quick-thinking dispatcher who handled Paul Pelosi's 911 call

A San Francisco police officer stands guard near the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on October 28.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott praised the quick-thinking dispatcher who sent police officers to the Pelosi home Friday, after the House speaker’s husband made a surreptitious 911 call.

“When you have an experienced dispatcher with good instincts, they learn how to read between the lines,” Scott told reporters.

The dispatcher in question got a call from Paul Pelosi, who managed to leave the line open while he confronted an intruder in his home.

Pelosi was talking in code, a law enforcement source told CNN earlier today, providing enough detail that the operator could understand something was wrong. At the same time, Pelosi tried not to make it evident that he had an open line.

Suspect in Pelosi attack is still being treated at the hospital

David DePape, the man suspected of attacking Paul Pelosi earlier Friday, is still being treated in the hospital, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said during a press conference this evening.

Scott did not elaborate on how DePape was hurt, but officers say they witnessed a struggle for control of a hammer between Pelosi and an intruder when they first arrived at the home.

While Scott did not discuss the suspect’s medical condition, he did tell reporters that DePape will be booked on felony charges.

"Everybody should be disgusted." Police chief says Pelosi attack was a targeted act

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott speaks during a press conference Friday October 28.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the attack at the Pelosi home was a targeted act of violence, not random, and shared an emotional rebuke of any threat on a public figure’s life.

Someone opened the door for officers when police arrived at the Pelosi home, chief says

In an evening update, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott provided more details on the sequence of events in the attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Scott said when officers arrived at the home they knocked on the front door and “the door was opened by someone inside,” though he didn’t clarify who that person was.

Officers then stood at the threshold and watched as Pelosi and another man struggled over control of a hammer. They shouted for both men to drop the weapon, but the intruder wrestled the weapon away and hit Pelosi in the head with it at least once, Scott said.

At that point, the officers ran in and tackled the man.

Police are providing another update on the attack of Paul Pelosi

Law enforcement officials are providing another update on the hammer attack at the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which left her husband hospitalized.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott is addressing reporters at the department’s headquarters.

Local police are working with the FBI, the US attorney’s office, US Capitol Police and the San Francisco district attorney’s office on the investigation.

Biden says attack on Paul Pelosi directly ties to right-wing extremism

US President Joe Biden speaks at a reception for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in Philadelphia on Friday.

President Joe Biden described the attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “despicable” and directly tied the assault to growing strains of rightwing extremism.

He said the chant the intruder reported used upon entering Pelosi’s home — “Where’s Nancy?” — was the same one used during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

The President said it was implausible to cultivate conspiracies like a stolen election and Covid hoaxes without also fostering an environment of extreme violence.

“What makes us think that it’s not going to corrode the political climate,” he asked.

“Enough is enough is enough,” Biden said. “Every good person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence.”

He said he’d spoken to Speaker Pelosi earlier in the day, and helped arrange her travel back to San Francisco.

Jan. 6 House committee chair says attack on Paul Pelosi should be condemned by all elected officials

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Chair of the House select committee Investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection speaks with reporters at the Capital on September 13.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, called the attack on Paul Pelosi “abhorrent” and said all elected officials should publicly condemn the violence.

He called on other members of Congress and elected officials around the country to put “country over party and reject the conspiracy theories that are proving so divisive, despite any perceived political advantage.”

Thompson said the attack was a “symptom of a much larger problem within our democracy” and urged law enforcement and federal agencies to use their resources to protect other elected officials and the upcoming midterm elections.

Police have spoken with suspect in the Pelosi attack, San Francisco DA says

Police have talked to the man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told CNN on Friday.

Jenkins declined to provide additional details, saying, “given the investigation is still ongoing, none of that information is being released at this time.”

The suspect, David DePape, did sustain “some minor injuries,” she said, without providing any details.

Officers took DePape into custody on suspicion of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and several additional felonies, according to SFPD Chief William Scott.

Pelosi's ability to stay on the phone with 911 dispatcher helped expedite police response, DA says

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Paul Pelosi called 911 while the alleged assailant was inside his home, helping the dispatcher expedite the police response early Friday morning.

Pelosi managed to keep the line open during the attack so that the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background, according to a separate law enforcement source.

Officers entered the couple’s home around 2:27 a.m. local time (5:27 a.m. ET) to find Pelosi, 82, struggling over a hammer with another man, police said earlier Friday.

The struggle was captured on police body camera as officers came through the door to intervene, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

CNN’s John Miller and Jamie Gangel contributed to this report

Nancy Pelosi now at San Francisco hospital with her husband

The San Francisco Hospital where Paul Pelosi is being treated for his injuries, seen on Friday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now at the hospital in San Francisco to see her husband, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Paul Pelosi underwent surgery for a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to a statement from Speaker Pelosi’s spokesperson. He is expected to make a full recovery, it said.

Blogs with username matching the suspect's show images of Pelosi, QAnon and antisemitic language

Two blogs written by a user named “daviddepape” – the same name as the suspect in the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband – featured antisemitic screeds and QAnon-linked content in recent weeks, including videos that involved Pelosi.

The content resembles posts from last year on DePape’s Facebook page, which was verified by two relatives. CNN was not able to confirm that the blogs were written by DePape.

One of the blogs, which has dozens of posts attributed to “daviddepape” in recent weeks, posted several videos supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory. One of the videos includes a shot of Pelosi swinging a gavel during one of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment proceedings, and another includes an image of Pelosi and other politicians. 

In another post, the account wrote “Adrenachrome is real,” referring to a substance that QAnon believers falsely claim is derived by torturing children. The post suggested “elites” traffic in the substance.

In other posts, the author used antisemitic language, posted videos accusing LGBTQ people of “grooming” children, and declared that “any journalist saying” there is no evidence of election fraud “should be dragged straight out into the street and shot.”

He most recently posted on Thursday, the day before the attack, linking a YouTube video that compared colleges to cults.

On a second website, a Wordpress.com blog titled “God is loving,” someone with the username “daviddepape” wrote a string of posts over the course of several days in late August 2022. The author complained about censorship by tech companies and the media, posting numerous screenshots where text had been blacked out. The page has been taken offline.

Former VP Pence calls attack on Paul Pelosi an outrage

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday evening called the attack on Paul Pelosi “an outrage.” 

Read the tweet:

Here's what we know so far about the attack on Paul Pelosi

In an aerial view, San Francisco police officers and FBI agents gather in front of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home in San Francisco, California on Friday.

It’s been a little more than 12 hours since a brutal attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who wasn’t home when an intruder apparently came looking for her.

Law enforcement officials and CNN sources have filled in some of the details surrounding the attack on Paul Pelosi, but other questions remain unanswered.

What we know:

  • Pelosi made a coded plea for help: Paul Pelosi called 911 when he encountered a threatening man in his home early Friday morning, according to a law enforcement source. He left the line open so a dispatcher could hear his conversation with the intruder, speaking surreptitiously but making it clear that he needed help.
  • Officers witnessed the attack: San Francisco police entered the couple’s home around 2:27 a.m. local time (5:27 a.m. ET) to find Pelosi, 82, struggling over a hammer with another man, according to the city’s police chief. Officers saw the intruder “violently assault” Pelosi with the hammer before they tackled him to the ground and arrested him.
  • The intruder seemed intent on finding the speaker: The person who attacked Paul Pelosi was searching for the Speaker of the House, according to a source briefed on the attack. He shouted “Where is Nancy?” at least twice and later, as he tried to tie up Paul Pelosi and said he would wait “until Nancy got home,” the source said. The speaker was in Washington, DC, at the time.
  • Police named their suspect: Officers took David DePape, 42, into custody on suspicion of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and several additional felonies, according to SFPD Chief William Scott.
  • The suspect’s online activities: The suspect had posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid-19 vaccines, the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack. A former acquaintance, who knew him for eight years, told CNN she had received “really disturbing” emails from DePape in the past.
  • Pelosi is expected to recover: Pelosi underwent surgery for a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to a statement from Speaker Pelosi’s office. He is expected to make a full recovery, it said.

What we still don’t know:

  • What was the motive? Law enforcement officials say the motivation for the attack is still under investigation, declining so far to deem it an act of political violence. The suspect’s online activities and reported remarks at the home could play a part in that determination.
  • What security measures were in place? The security detail for lawmakers, including the speaker, does not protect their spouses when the members of Congress are not with them. Police said the intruder entered through a back door. It wasn’t clear if he circumvented any security measures. Lawmakers have expressed concerns over their safety and that of their families.

Vice President Kamala Harris says she spoke with Nancy Pelosi after attack

Vice President Kamala Harris said she talked with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Friday morning, after Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was attacked with a hammer at the couple’s home in San Francisco.

Harris offered her prayers to the Pelosi family after what she called an “act of extreme violence,” and urged all leaders to think about their words and posture during a divisive time.

The vice president said she believes everyone needs to “speak out against hate, speak out against violence,” adding that it’s still important to have “public discourse when there are disagreements about policies.”

“I pray for Paul’s recovery. I know the Pelosis and this is tragic. Somebody literally broke into their whole home, saying ‘Where’s Nancy?’” she said.

Suspected Pelosi assailant was not known to Capitol police or in threat databases

The man who is accused of assaulting Paul Pelosi was not known to US Capitol Police and was not in any federal databases tracking threats, according to three sources who were briefed on the investigation.

According to his social media accounts, David DePape did post memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid-19 vaccines, the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack.

He was booked Friday at San Francisco County Jail on charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, verbal and several other additional felonies, according to San Francisco Police Chief William Scott and the sheriff’s office’s online inmate locator.

A reminder: These charges are just to book him into jail — they are not formal criminal charges by prosecutors.

Paul Pelosi underwent surgery for a skull fracture and other injuries, according to family statement

Paul Pelosi underwent surgery Friday “to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” according to a statement released by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

She thanked people for the “outpouring of support and prayers” following an attack on her husband in their San Francisco home.

The statement, issued by spokesperson Drew Hammill, added:

Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery, it said.

Paul Pelosi called 911 at the beginning of the intrusion and kept the line open

Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 at the start of the attack at his home in San Francisco, according to a law enforcement source and another source familiar with the matter.   

Pelosi managed to keep the line open and the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background, according to the law enforcement source.

Pelosi was talking in code, that source said, providing enough detail so that the operator overhearing it could understand that something was wrong. At the same time Pelosi seemed to be trying not to make it obvious to the intruder that he had an open line, the source said.

The dispatcher could hear Pelosi speaking about what was going on and dispatched police to check on the house, the source said.

The struggle with Pelosi was captured on police body camera as officers came through the door to intervene, according to one of the sources. 

Youngkin condemns violence, but adds voters will send Nancy Pelosi "back to be with him in California"

Glenn Youngkin speaks during a campaign event in McLean, Virginia on July 14, 2021.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, addressing the attack on Paul Pelosi, said that “there’s no room for violence anywhere,” but then added that voters would send House Speaker Nancy Pelosi home “to be with him in California.”

The comments came hours after Pelosi was attacked with a hammer at the couple’s home in San Francisco early Friday morning, law enforcement sources told CNN. The assailant was searching for the speaker of the House, according to a source briefed on the attack.

Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter responded to CNN’s request for additional comment with the following statement:

“As the governor clearly said, the assault on Paul Pelosi was wrong and there is no place for violence. He wishes him a full recovery and is keeping the Pelosi family in his prayers.”

CNN’s Eric Bradner contributed to this report