Conspiracy theories take hold after Pelosi attack 3:37
(CNN) --
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has revealed how she received the news that her husband, Paul, had been attacked, telling CNN's Anderson Cooper that she was "so scared" when police in the Capitol knocked on his door.
In her first interview since the attack, Pelosi explained that she was sleeping that night in Washington, DC, after arriving the night before from San Francisco, when her doorbell rang early in the morning.
"I look up, I see it's 5 am (Washington time) you must be in the wrong apartment," he told Cooper after Cooper asked where he was when he got the news.
Pelosi went on to say that the doorbell rang again and then she heard "bang, bang, bang, bang, bang at the door."
"So I ran to the door and I was really scared," Pelosi said, describing what happened.
"I see the Capitol Police and they say, 'We have to go in and talk to you.'"
Pelosi described how she immediately thought of her children and grandchildren.
"And I think of my children, my grandchildren. I never thought it was about Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn't be out, let's say. And so they came. At the time, we didn't even know where he was," she said.
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The violent attack on Paul Pelosi has sparked renewed concern about threats of political violence fueled by partisan hostility and increasingly aggressive political rhetoric, and has highlighted the potential vulnerability of lawmakers and their families in the current political climate. .
Paul Pelosi, husband of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, is attacked with a hammer, shouting: "Where is Nancy?"
Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer at the couple's San Francisco home late last month, authorities said.
The assailant was actually looking for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, according to court documents.
David DePape is charged with six counts related to the attack, including attempted murder, robbery, assault, false arrest and threatening a family member of a public official.
He has pleaded not guilty to all state charges.
Following the attack, Paul Pelosi underwent surgery "to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands," Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi, said in an earlier statement.
He was released from the hospital last week.
Nancy Pelosi says the attack on her husband will impact her political future
Nancy Pelosi also indicated that the attack on her husband will influence her decision about her own political future after the midterm elections.
Pelosi, one of the most powerful figures in national Democratic politics, has earned a reputation as a formidable leader for House Democrats who wields significant influence in her caucus.
But speculation is intensifying in Washington about what Pelosi's next move will be, and whether he will decide to step down, if Republicans regain the majority.
During Monday's interview, Cooper asked Pelosi if she would confirm that she has made a decision, one way or the other, about what she would do, noting that there has been "a lot of discussion about whether she would step down if the Democrats lose the House."
The president said the "decision will be affected by what's happened in the last week or two," prompting Cooper to ask, "Will your decision be affected by the attack in any way?"
"Yes," Pelosi said.
"Will you?" Cooper asked.
"Yes," Pelosi reiterated.
The full interview will air on "Anderson Cooper 360" at 8 pm Miami time.
Nancy Pelosi Paul Pelosi