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Police outside the Pelosis' home in San Francisco
Photo: Eric Risberg/AP
Democrat Nancy Pelosi is Chair of the US House of Representatives and one of the most powerful politicians in the US: In terms of protocol, she is number three in the state after President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
A violent burglar attacked and injured her husband Paul Pelosi at her San Francisco home.
Apparently the perpetrator was looking for the politician.
Answers to the most important questions.
What happened?
Three San Francisco police officers drove to the Pelosis' home around 2:30 a.m. Friday, police chief William Scott said at a press conference that lasted almost five minutes.
The police responded to an emergency call.
When officers arrived, 82-year-old Paul Pelosi and the attacker were wrestling over a gavel.
The intruder grabbed the hammer in front of the police and hit Pelosi with it.
Police officers overpowered and disarmed the man, according to Police Chief Scott.
They then called for reinforcements and provided first aid.
Both men were taken to the hospital.
The alleged attacker is in custody.
Several US media reported unanimously that the attacker was specifically looking for Nancy Pelosi.
So he called out, "Where's Nancy?
Where's Nancy?'
The media cites an unnamed source as having been informed of the attack.
How is Paul Pelosi doing - and who is he?
Nancy Pelosi's office said her husband is expected to make a "full recovery."
More detailed information about his injuries or his treatment in the hospital was not initially given.
The AP news agency reported that Paul Pelosi was being treated for bruises, severe swelling and other injuries.
According to other media reports, Pelosi is said to have had head surgery.
Paul Pelosi is a wealthy investor who lives mostly on the west coast.
The couple has five adult children and many grandchildren.
Nancy and Paul Pelosi have been married for 59 years.
Earlier this year, Paul Pelosi pleaded guilty to being involved in an accident while under the influence of alcohol in May and was sentenced to five days in prison and three years' probation.
Where was Nancy Pelosi at the time of the crime?
The crime took place in the home of the Pelosis, who have owned a three-story brick home in San Francisco's exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood since 1987.
Nancy Pelosi was not in San Francisco at the time of the burglary: she was in the capital, Washington, according to Capitol Police.
Pelosi was originally expected to attend an LGBTQ+ fundraising event alongside Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday night.
According to the AP news agency, Pelosi canceled the appointment.
What is known about the attacker's motive?
The perpetrator is said to be a 42-year-old man.
"The assailant is in police custody and an investigation into his motive is ongoing," Pelosi's office said.
US Capitol Police said they are participating in the investigation by the San Francisco Police Department and the FBI.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the arrested man had previously spread right-wing extremist views and conspiracy theories on online platforms, including about the corona pandemic.
That has not yet been confirmed.
The Vice portal also reports that the alleged perpetrator attracted attention with Holocaust denial.
According to the police, the man is now charged with, among other things, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and burglary.
How are US politicians reacting?
The attack happened just 11 days before what are known as the midterms on November 8th.
President Joe Biden
spoke of a “terrible attack”.
He prays for Paul Pelosi and the entire family and condemns all forms of violence.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was also in contact with Nancy Pelosi.
He called her in the morning "to assure her of his support after this terrible attack."
Vice President Harris
wrote on Twitter that she and her husband Douglas Emhoff were "appalled" by the attack.
"The entire Pelosi family is in our hearts and we wish him a speedy recovery."
Senate Democrat leader
Chuck Schumer called
it an "insidious" act.
In a telephone call to Nancy Pelosi, her husband and her family, he "conveyed my deepest concerns and heartfelt wishes".
Not only Democrats, but also Republicans expressed their sympathy.
Senior
Republican Rep. Steve Scalise
said he was "disgusted" by the attack.
“Violence has no place in this country.
I am praying for a full recovery for Paul Pelosi.”
Republican Senator Susan Collins
of Maine, whose home was smashed following threats over the
summer, said she was “appalled by this vicious attack on Paul Pelosi at his home.
My prayers are with him, Speaker Pelosi and her family."
Former
Vice President
Mike Pence
, who was wanted by supporters of the president-elect in the Capitol with calls of “Hang Mike Pence” on January 6, 2021, for refusing to keep the presidential election result from being certified in Congress, also expressed solidarity .
Politicians from both major US parties have expressed fears of political violence ahead of the election.
According to Capitol Police, the number of threats against MPs has more than doubled since 2017.
For example, in early January 2021, shortly before the Capitol was stormed, the Pelosis' home in San Francisco was covered in graffiti and a pig's head was left on the sidewalk.
Even after the current attack, insults against the Pelosis and conspiracy theories circulated online.
Nancy Pelosi "staged" the attack or couldn't properly secure her home, one ultraconservative moderator wrote on Twitter.
Noted Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to a video on Fox News in which Texas Rep. Michael McCaul blamed what he saw as too lax case law for the crime.
Ocasio-Cortez wrote that perhaps a "billionaire-funded propaganda channel that regularly unleashes death threats against elected officials while peddling propaganda for a far-right party openly professing fascism" may have set the stage for the crime instead.
The attack has also sparked a new debate about the safety of politicians and their families.
A neighbor of Pelosi told The New York Times that when Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, her husband had no personal protection available.
"If she's out of town, her security won't be there for Paul."
kko/dpa/AFP/AP