Washington
CNN
—
The man who attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, tried to tie him up “until Nancy gets home,” according to two people familiar with the matter. When police arrived, the attacker said he was “waiting for Nancy.”
Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer by a male assailant at the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday morning, law enforcement sources told CNN. The attackers who attacked Paul Pelosi are looking for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, according to a source with knowledge of the attack. The intruder confronted the speaker’s husband at their San Francisco home, shouting, “Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?” according to the source.
Pelosi, 82, is hospitalized but is expected to make a full recovery, the Democratic spokesman’s office said in a statement.
The attack sent shockwaves through Washington and sparked mourning and condemnation from congressional leaders of both parties. Concerns about political violence against lawmakers remain high in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and other high-profile violence against members of Congress in recent years.
Capitol Police said in a statement that they were assisting the FBI and San Francisco police in a “joint investigation” into the burglary at Pelosi’s home in California.
The statement, which provided further information on how law enforcement responded, said agents from the USCP’s California field office “scheduled to the scene while an investigative team from the department’s Threat Assessment Section was dispatched from the East Coast to assist the FBI and San Francisco. A joint police investigation.”
Nancy Pelosi’s spokesman, Drew Hamill, said the attackers had been detained and a motive was being investigated. A spokesman said he was in Washington at the time of the attack.
“The Speaker and her family thank the first responders and medical professionals involved and ask for privacy at this time,” Hamill said in the statement.
The attackers entered Pelosi’s residence from the back of the house, according to two sources familiar with early details of the incident.
If Speaker Pelosi is away, there will be no security details at the residence, according to a source familiar with the agreement.
Since there are security cameras in the home, U.S. Capitol Police and law enforcement may look at the video, according to two law enforcement sources.
The White House said President Joe Biden spoke with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and Speaker Pelosi’s family. He called Speaker Pelosi this morning to express his support for this horrific attack,” press secretary Carine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
She continued: “He is also delighted to have made a full recovery. The President continues to condemn all acts of violence and demand that the family’s desire for privacy be respected.”
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in a tweet On Friday, he was “shocked and disgusted” by reports that Pelosi was attacked at her home.
“It’s great to hear that Paul is expected to make a full recovery and that law enforcement, including our wonderful Capitol Police, is working on the case,” the Kentucky Republican said.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy contacted Speaker Pelosi after the attack, according to McCarthy’s office.
McCarthy’s spokesman, Mark Bedner, said: “Leader McCarthy contacted the Speaker to check on Paul and said he was praying for a full recovery and thanked them for catching the attacker.”
The Pelosis married in 1963 and have five children.
This story and title have been updated with more developments.