Foreign

Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is recovering from surgery after being attacked by a hammer-wielding intruder at the couple’s San Francisco home.

Mr Pelosi, 82, suffered a fractured skull and injuries to his right arm and hands but is expected to fully recover.

The attack has stoked fears about political violence in the run-up to the 8 November midterm elections.

The suspect, David Depape, 42, is said to have demanded to see Mrs Pelosi.

President Biden described the attack as “despicable” and denounced a corrosive political climate for contributing to violence.

Enough is enough is enough,” he said during a speech in Philadelphia. “Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are.”

Hours after the attack, the US government distributed a bulletin to law enforcement across the nation warning of a “heightened threat” of domestic violent extremism against candidates and election workers driven by individuals with “ideological grievances”.

However, police investigating the attack on Mr Pelosi – which they have deemed an attempted murder – told reporters a motive had not yet been fully determined.

Mrs Pelosi – who was on the other side of the country in Washington DC at the time of the assault – flew back to see her husband in hospital.

A spokesman for the senior Democrat said Mr Pelosi had been attacked in the early hours of Friday morning “by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker”.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said officers had responded to a call at around 02:27 local time (09:27 GMT) on Friday.

They found Mr Pelosi and the suspect struggling over a hammer, but it was wrested from Mr Pelosi by the intruder, who violently assaulted him with it.

The suspect was tackled and disarmed by officers. He had attempted to tie up Mr Pelosi “until Nancy got home”, law enforcement sources told CBS News. He reportedly shouted “where’s Nancy?” during the incident.

He is also facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and several other felonies, Chief Scott said.

He said the suspect had gained access through a rear entry to the four-bedroom Pelosi home in the upmarket neighbourhood of Pacific Heights. Footage shows a smashed glass door at the property.

The suspect is currently in hospital, but police declined to share details about his medical condition.

At the start of the break-in, Mr Pelosi told the intruder he needed to use the bathroom then made a secret 911 call on his mobile phone and left the line open, allowing a dispatcher to hear him talking to the suspect, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Chief Scott confirmed it was Mr Pelosi who had called police and that a quick-thinking emergency dispatcher had been “able to read between the lines” and send officers.

“This was not a random act,” said the police chief of the attack. “This was intentional.”

He added: “Everybody should be disgusted by what happened this morning.”

BBC /Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

The husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been “violently assaulted” after a break-in at their California home.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, a spokesperson said.

The suspect, who has not been named, is in custody but the motive for the attack is unclear.

Mrs Pelosi was not at the San Francisco residence when the incident took place on Friday morning.

“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” a spokesman for the senior Democrat said.

The male assailant used a hammer in the attack, unnamed law enforcement sources told US media. This has not been confirmed by the police.

Mrs Pelosi is one of the most powerful politicians in the country. 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.

The Baltimore native has represented the San Francisco area in Congress since 1987 and typically splits her time between California and Washington.

She is currently fundraising and campaigning with Democrats around the country ahead of the midterm elections on 8 November, and was in Washington at the time of the attack on Friday.

Her husband, the multimillionaire founder of a venture capital firm, resides primarily in San Francisco where he was born and raised.

The couple has been married since 1963 and has five children.

The exact circumstances of the attack are unclear and it is not known how the intruder entered the couple’s residence.

The FBI and the US Capitol Police, which has a field office in California, are assisting the San Francisco police with the investigation.

Members of Congress have been on high alert over security threats since last year’s riot at the US Capitol. Mrs Pelosi’s office in the building was ransacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump during the attack.

And last year, her San Francisco home was reportedly vandalised with graffiti saying “cancel rent”.

Senior Republicans, such as Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, have also been targeted by vandalism in recent times.

Mr Pelosi was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury after crashing his car earlier this year. The venture capitalist pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced to five days in jail.

BBC/Simeon ugbodovon

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