Nancy Pelosi’s husband ‘violently assaulted’ in home break-in; Arrested Intruder searched for US Speaker before attack

California: Paul Pelosi, the husband of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was “violently assaulted” after a break-in at the couple’s California home.

Drew Hammill, spokesman for Nancy Pelosi, said an assailant broke into the couple’s house in San Francisco and “violently assaulted” Paul Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi was not at home at the time of the incident.

“The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation,” the statement said. “Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery.”

The intruder who attacked him was searching for the Democratic leader, shouting “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?” before assaulting Mr. Pelosi with a hammer. The suspect was identified as David Depape, two of the people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who is second in line to the presidency, was in Washington with her protective detail at the time of the assault, according to the US Capitol Police.

The assault comes less than two weeks before mid-term elections, in which control of the House and the Senate is at stake.

Paul Pelosi, 82, who owns a San Francisco-based real estate and venture capital firm, was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury after crashing his car earlier this year. He pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced to five days in jail in Napa County, California.

Nancy Pelosi is one of the most powerful politicians in the US. She was re-elected to a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2021, making her second in line to the presidency after Vice-President Kamala Harris.