October 31, 2022 The latest on Paul Pelosi’s attack

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her husband Paul is making steady progress after being treated for injuries he sustained during a violent attack in their San Francisco home last week.

“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,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Police tape blocks a street outside the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi in San Francisco, on October 28.

The man accused of using a hammer to attack Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at their San Francisco home on Friday faces federal and state charges, officials said Monday.

Included in court filings, an FBI affidavit that was unsealed provided new details about what happened.

Here’s what happened, according to law enforcement:

What else to know:

The charges

David DePape was charged with federal counts of assault and attempted kidnapping, the US attorney’s office for the Northern District of California announced. The attempted kidnapping charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison and the assault charge has a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also announced additional state charges, including attempted murder.

The break-in

The suspect was able to get into the house by breaking a rear glass door, Jenkins said, adding that DePape allegedly went upstairs to where Pelosi was sleeping. She said he woke him up and confronted him about the whereabouts of the speaker. Pelosi tried to get to the elevator in the home which had a phone in it, according to Jenkins, but the suspect blocked him. “It was at some point after that Mr. Pelosi asked to go to the bathroom, which is where he was able to call 911 from his cell phone,” she said, adding that’s when the suspect brought Pelosi downstairs near the front door.

Pelosi’s 911 call

A court filing related to the federal charges said Paul 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. CNN has previously reported that Pelosi managed to keep the line open and the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background.

Looking for Nancy Pelosi

DePape confessed in an interview with local police that he intended to find Nancy Pelosi and hold her hostage, the criminal complaint said. It added that 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.’” The affidavit further stated that DePape told police that Nancy Pelosi was the “leader of the pack” of lies promoted by the Democratic party.

Interviews with Pelosi and the suspect

Paul Pelosi was interviewed this weekend at the hospital by investigators and was able to provide details of the attack, two law enforcement sources and a source familiar with the matter told CNN. DePape was read his Miranda rights before he spoke with the police and confessed to his intentions to kidnap the top-ranking House Democrat, according to the filings.

Motive

Police have not officially determined the motive of the suspect. San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said in a news conference Friday that the attack was “intentional” and “not a random act.” The unsealed affidavit said, “DePape had zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer with him that morning.”

What’s next: The suspect is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkin speaks at a press conference on Monday.

The suspect in the attack on Paul Pelosi is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

David DePape has not yet made any court appearances related to the attack.

The district attorney said her office will be filing a motion to detain him without bail.

“That is based on what is obvious and severe public safety risk that the defendant poses to San Francisco as well as the outer community,” she said at a news conference announcing the charges Monday.

If convicted, Jenkins said DePape could face 13 years to life in prison, she said.

Federal charges as well: Earlier on Monday, the US attorney’s office and San Francisco district attorney announced that DePape was charged with one count of “attempted kidnapping of a US official,” which relates to Nancy Pelosi, who DePape told police he planned to “hold hostage,” according to an FBI affidavit.

The attempted kidnapping charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

DePape also was charged with one count of assault on an immediate family member of a US official with the intent to retaliate against the official. That charge relates to a crime allegedly committed against Paul Pelosi and carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced state charges against the man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

David DePape is now also facing several state charges, including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, Jenkins announced at a news conference Monday 

He was charged earlier today with federal charges of assault and attempted kidnapping.

The suspect confessed in an interview with local police that he intended to find Speaker Pelosi and hold her hostage, according to court documents.

Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake makes a campaign appearance at the Freedom & Faith Concert in Scottsdale, Arizona, on October 27.

The Republican nominee in Arizona’s gubernatorial race appeared to joke about the violent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul.

Kari Lake was asked at a Scottsdale campaign event about her plans to increase school safety and she said:

The crowd burst into laughter and the moderator was laughing so hard he covered his face with his notes. 

During her campaign for governor, Lake, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has echoed the former President’s lies about the 2020 election being stolen, come out against vaccine mandates and said drag queens are dangerous to children. 

Mixed response from Republicans: Several prominent Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have condemned the attack, though some others, including Trump, have offered a more tepid response.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is seen during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. 

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a “horrific, violent attack,” during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. 

“There’s no place for it in this country,” he 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. 

Mayorkas said he has confidence in the integrity of the midterm elections. 

According to the bulletin, potential targets of violence include candidates running for public office, elected officials, election workers, political rallies, political party representatives, racial and religious minorities, or perceived ideological opponents.

Paul Pelosi was struck twice on the head with a hammer, according to a source familiar with the matter who provided CNN with more information about the attack in the wake of the federal criminal complaint Monday.

Pelosi needed surgery for a skull fracture and also had serious injuries to his hands and right arm, which led to his shirt being cut off at the hospital to treat his arm, the source said.

As of Monday evening, Pelosi remains in the intensive care unit of a San Francisco hospital. 

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said Friday that Pelosi “was struck at least one time.”

Pelosi was sleeping in boxer shorts and a pajama top in the third-floor bedroom of his San Francisco house, the source said, when authorities allege that David DePape broke in and woke him while looking for his wife, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

Federal investigators accuse DePape of planning to kidnap Pelosi and break “her kneecaps” if she lied, according to the FBI affidavit unsealed Monday alongside the federal charges against DePape for assault and attempted kidnapping. 

DePape is accused of striking Paul Pelosi in the head with a hammer after the police showed up at the residence. The affidavit says that DePape pulled the hammer from Pelosi’s hand and struck him in the head, knocking him to the ground where he appeared to be unconscious.

DePape said in an interview with investigators that Paul Pelosi’s actions resulted in him “taking the punishment instead,” according to the FBI affidavit. DePape said in the interview that he went into the house intending to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage.

The San Francisco District Attorney is expected to hold a press conference Monday to discuss state charges against David DePape, the man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer.

Federal charges were filed against DePape earlier today.

The update is expected to start around 6 p.m. ET.

Paul Pelosi attends a reception for G7 presidents at the Brandenburg State Parliament in Germany last month.

Paul Pelosi did not know the man who is accused of attacking him, according to both the 911 call and his initial interview with the San Francisco Police Department.

Pelosi told a 911 dispatcher during his initial call that “he does not know who the male is” that invaded his home, according to the FBI affidavit unsealed Monday alongside the federal charges.

Furthermore, the affidavit said, San Francisco Police Department officers interviewed Pelosi in the ambulance on the way to hospital, and he said “he had never seen DePape before,” referring to the suspect charged in the attack, David DePape. 

Earlier on Monday, San Francisco Police Department Chief William Scott told CNN’s Ana Cabrera that Paul Pelosi didn’t know the suspect. The police chief said the wave of conspiracies about the case were “baseless” and “damaging” to the ongoing investigation. 

The suspected attacker knocked out Paul Pelosi by hitting him in the head with a hammer, according to new details in an FBI affidavit unsealed Monday.

Pelosi called 911 at 2:23 a.m. on Friday, and police arrived at his house eight minutes later, the filing said. When the door opened, the affidavit said Pelosi and the suspect, David DePape, were both “holding a hammer with one hand and DePape had his other hand holding onto Pelosi’s forearm.”

“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,” the FBI affidavit said.

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, according to the affidavit.

Paul Pelosi was later taken to the hospital and underwent a “successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” according to a previous statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. They said they expect Paul Pelosi to make a full recovery. 

The man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi confessed in an interview with local police that he intended to find House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and hold her hostage, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

The FBI affidavit filed with the complaint said the suspect, David 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. 

The affidavit further stated DePape told police that Nancy Pelosi was the “leader of the pack” of lies promoted by the Democratic party. DePape told police that other members of Congress would see that there are consequences to their actions when Pelosi, with broken kneecaps, would get “wheeled into” the House chamber, according to the affidavit. 

The interview was conducted by the San Francisco Police Department on Friday, the day of the attack, according to court filings. DePape was read his Miranda rights before he spoke with the police and confessed to his intentions to kidnap the top-ranking House Democrat, according to the filings.

A heart-shaped sculpture and a light are seen inside a window of the Pelosis' home after Friday's attack.

A court filing related to the federal charges against the suspect in the Paul Pelosi attack reveal more details of his 911 call while the incident was unfolding.  

CNN has previously reported that Pelosi managed to keep the line open and the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background – and that Pelosi was talking in code to help the authorities understand what was happening.  

“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, referring to the suspect, David DePape.

“DePape had zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer with him that morning,” the affidavit said.

The suspect has not yet had any court appearances related to the attack. 

CNN has obtained the driver's license photograph of David DePape, the man suspected of attacking Paul Pelosi at his San Francisco home on Friday morning.

The man alleged to have attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was charged with federal charges of assault and attempted kidnapping on Monday.

The attempted kidnapping charge relates to Nancy Pelosi and carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. CNN has reported that DePape allegedly shouted “Where’s Nancy?” after breaking into their home. 

The other charge is one count of assault of an immediate family member of a US official with the intent to retaliate against the official. That charge relates to crimes allegedly committed against Paul Pelosi and carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

A police car blocks the street below the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul, on Friday.

Paul Pelosi was interviewed this weekend at the hospital by investigators and was able to provide details of the attack, two law enforcement sources and a source familiar with the matter told CNN. Among those conducting the interview were FBI and local law enforcement investigators.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott declined to share any details of his department’s interview with Pelosi, citing a desire not to jeopardize the investigation in any way.

SFPD investigators said they also interviewed the suspect, David DePape, “at least once” since the altercation.

Scott pushed back on conspiracy theories churning around the brutal attack, calling them “baseless” and “fact-less.”

“Obviously there’s a political undertone to this,” Scott acknowledged, adding that the wild theories surrounding the attack are “damaging.”

“We need some civility here,” Scott declared, calling for more appropriate public discourse.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that while her husband continues to improve following Friday’s violent attack in their San Francisco home, their children and grandchildren “are heartbroken and traumatized.”

The comments, her first since her 82-year-old husband was attacked with a hammer, came Saturday night in a letter to all members of the House of Representatives.

She thanked law enforcement and first responders for the “life-saving medical care” her husband is receiving, and she thanked members for “the outpouring of prayers and warm wishes.”

Wider concerns: The break-in raises concerns about the safety of members of Congress and their families. Capitol Police are responsible for Nancy Pelosi’s security and the security of other members of Congress but lack the resources to protect lawmakers’ families around the clock.

President Joe Biden made a direct link Saturday between right-wing conspiracies and violence like the assault on Paul Pelosi, saying the “talk has to stop.”

On Monday, the US attorney’s office for the Northern District of California announced federal charges against the suspect, David DePape, including assault and attempted kidnapping.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott speaks to reporters on Friday.

Police have not determined the motive of the man suspected to have attacked Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in the couple’s San Francisco home on Friday.

He was charged with federal charges of assault and attempted kidnapping on Monday, according to the complaint.

Authorities said Friday that the suspect is in the hospital for minor injuries.

The man, David DePape, 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. But he had posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid-19 vaccines, the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol.

US Capitol Police said in a statement Friday that it is assisting the FBI and the San Francisco Police with a joint investigation into the break-in.

While law enforcement officials have not provided a motive for the attack, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said in a news conference Friday that the attack was “intentional” and “not a random act.”

He added: