Pelosi’s Husband Assaulted in San Francisco Home

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was “violently assaulted” this morning by an assailant who broke into their residence in San Francisco, POLITICO reported.

Nancy Pelosi was not in San Francisco on Friday morning when the home was broken into. 

The motivation for the attack remains under investigation. 

Paul Pelosi, 82, was reportedly attacked with a hammer at about 2:30 a.m. He suffered blunt force trauma to his head and body and was being treated for bruising, severe swelling, and other injuries. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, the spokesperson said.

Capitol Police said the San Francisco Police Department took the suspect into custody. The San Francisco Police is working with the FBI and Capitol Police in a joint investigation into the attack. 

Threats against lawmakers have been on the rise in recent years. Between Jan. 1 and March 23 of this year, U.S. Capitol Police opened about 1,820 cases involving direct threats and concerning statements or actions. 

In 2021, there were 9,625 cases opened by Capitol Police involving direct threats and concerning statements or actions. In 2020, there were 8,613 cases. In 2017, there were 3,939, showing a drastic rise. 

The Capitol Police observed the sharp increase in threats against lawmakers during the Trump era, when divisive rhetoric and political divisiveness became more prevalent in Washington.

While much is unknown about the attack against Pelosi, it is certain to raise new worries about violence targeting political figures and their families.

Over the summer a man armed with a pistol was arrested near Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-Wash.) Seattle home after yelling threats at the congresswoman, who was home with her husband at the time.

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) was separately attacked by a man at a campaign event in New York in June during his gubernatorial race. And earlier this month, the congressman said two people were shot outside his Long Island home. He and his family, however, remained unharmed.