Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was released from the hospital Thursday, six days after an assailant broke into their San Francisco home and struck him in the head with a hammer, her office said.
“The Pelosi family is thankful for the beautiful outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world,” the speaker said in a statement Thursday. “Paul is grateful to the 911 operator, emergency responders, trauma care team, ICU staff, and the entire ZSFGH medical staff for their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment he received after the violent assault in our home.”
Pelosi said her husband remained under doctors’ care and was beginning a “long recovery process and convalescence” after he underwent surgery for a skull fracture and injuries to his right arm and hands.
David DePape, 42, has been charged in the home-invasion attack. Prosecutors allege he broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home in the early morning hours last Friday, asking, “Where’s Nancy?” Police say he hoped to kidnap the speaker and “break her kneecaps” before Paul Pelosi confronted him.
Authorities arrived as the men were struggling over a hammer. DePape allegedly grabbed the tool, striking Pelosi in the head.
The House speaker was in Washington at the time.
DePape has pleaded not guilty on charges that include attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse. He is being held without bail.
The attack has renewed concerns in Washington about the surge in threats against lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. U.S. Capitol Police data shows that violent threats against those in Congress have surged tenfold since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger urged Congress to appropriate more resources to increase protection for elected officials, saying the recent attack was an “alarming reminder of the dangerous threats elected officials and public figures face during today’s contentious political climate.”
“During this time of heightened political tension, we continue to monitor thousands of cases across the country ― in an effort to stop potential threats before they make headlines,” Manger said in a statement Tuesday.
Most members of Congress receive little security from the government, and it’s very rare for their families to have any taxpayer-funded protection, although Democrats have said they hope to push for new funding initiatives.