The assailant breaks into Nancy Pelosi’s home and attacks her husband Paul Pelosi
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US intelligence agencies issued a dire warning about a rise in domestic violence extremism (DVE) around the November midterms, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband , continues to recover from a terrifying hammer attack.
A joint intelligence bulletin was sent to US law enforcement partners on Friday warning that DVE and “perceptions” of voter fraud could lead to an increase in violence, particularly by “lone criminals “.
Lawmakers, political candidates and poll workers will be the “most attractive targets” for extremists, he warned.
The bulletin came hours after Speaker Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, was assaulted at the couple’s home in San Francisco.
Police said David DePape, 42, broke into the home around 2 a.m. Friday looking for the Democrat, who was not home at the time.
Pelosi managed to secretly call 911, and when officers arrived at the scene, they witnessed DePape hitting her with a hammer.
DePape faces charges including attempted murder. Pelosi underwent surgery for a fractured skull and is expected to make a full recovery.
What we know so far
- Paul Pelosi was attacked by a man armed with a hammer in an attack on his home
- David DePape, 42, now in custody, entered the house shouting ‘where’s Nancy’
- Paul Pelosi underwent successful surgery for a fractured skull
- Suspect posted about QAnon and online Covid conspiracy theories
- Paul Pelosi dialed 911 and spoke in code to the dispatcher to alert authorities
- The attack comes amid an increase in violence and threats against lawmakers
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You see: The attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul is many things, but it’s no surprise
“The nation is shocked, no doubt. Sickened, too. And sympathy has spread without warning for Paul Pelosi, an 82-year-old man now battling his health in a California hospital.
“But can anyone say he was really surprised by it? If so, where have you been?”
Andrew Buncombe of The Independent writes:
Rachel Sharp30 October 2022 01:00
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Where do the Pelosi’s live?
Nancy and Paul Pelosi live in Pacific Heights, San Francisco’s most exclusive neighborhood and possibly the most expensive place to live in the United States.
The area sits on a ridge around the Cow Hollow and Marina District neighborhoods with panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay to the north and the Twin Peaks to the south.
Notable non-Pelosi residents include Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle; Gordon Getty, the billionaire businessman and composer; philanthropist Ann Getty; Jonathan Ive, former Apple designer; author Danielle Steel; and Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and pro-Trump right-wing activist.
Rachel Sharp30 October 2022 00:00
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AOC slams Kevin McCarthy for saying ‘nothing’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has criticized House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for saying “nothing” in the wake of the violent hammer attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The New York Democrat hit out at the Republican, comparing his silence on Paul Pelosi’s assault to his refusal to take action when a GOP lawmaker released an anime video of the AOC murder.
“Last year, a GOP congressman shared a depiction of himself killing me. When the House censured himself, @GOPLeader stood up for him,” AOC tweeted Saturday.
“Yesterday, a man who shared this member’s rhetoric tried to assassinate the president and his spouse. What did @GOPLeader say? Nothing. That’s who he is.”
Last November, Rep. Paul Gosar posted an anime video on social media depicting him killing AOC.
He was finally censured by the House and stripped of his committee duties.
Only two Republicans, Reps. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, voted with Democrats in favor of his censure.
McCarthy refused to support censorship.
After Friday’s attack on Mr. Pelosi, a spokesman for Mr. McCarthy said she had “reached out to the spokesperson to check on Paul” and was praying for his recovery.
However, the House Minority Leader has not publicly addressed the assault that left the 82-year-old hospitalized with a fractured skull.
His silence comes after several Republicans have spoken out to condemn the attack.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was chased by Donald Trump supporters chanting “Hang Mike Pence” during the Capitol riots, said the incident was an “outrage.”
“This is an outrage and our hearts go out to the entire Pelosi family. We pray for Paul’s full recovery,” he tweeted.
“There can be no tolerance for violence against public officials or their families. This man should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also condemned the incident, saying he was “horrified and disgusted” by what had happened.
Rachel SharpOctober 29, 2022 11:00 p.m
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Search warrants are sought in connection with the attack
Search warrants are being sought and/or executed as part of the investigation into the attack on Paul Pelosi, according to a report.
Sources told ABC News that both federal and local investigators are looking into David DePape’s background and movements after Friday’s assault on the House Speaker’s husband, including a close look at his social media accounts .
Mr. DePape’s online history reveals a deep-rooted obsession with far-right conspiracy theories.
In blog posts and social media pages, the 42-year-old aired transphobic, anti-Semitic and racist views and pushed conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 vaccine, the Holocaust and QAnon.
DePape, 42, already faces state charges of attempted murder, elder abuse and other crimes.
Federal charges could also be on the table.
Rachel SharpOctober 29, 2022 10:00 p.m
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Neighbors say David DePape lived in the school bus
David DePape reportedly lived inside a yellow school bus in the weeks leading up to the day he allegedly broke into Speaker Pelosi’s home and attacked her husband with a hammer.
Neighbors told the New York Post that the 42-year-old used to live in the Berkeley, Calif., home of his former activist partner Gypsy Taub, but had recently moved into a dilapidated bus on the property.
Ryan La Coste said Mr. DePape “usually kept to himself” and would try to stay away from him when he saw him around.
“He just stared blankly at us as we walked by,” he said.
“We tried to stay away from him … Nobody knew he was here because he was going to be on the bus or he just didn’t communicate.”
Rachel Sharp October 29, 2022 9:30 pm
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Listen to the audio dispatch about the attack
Police were called to the home of Paul and Nancy Pelosi after the House Speaker’s husband managed to call 911 and leave the line open so the operator could hear what was going on.
In a police audio clip, starting at 2:28 a.m. local time, a dispatcher can be heard saying the caller “said there’s a man at his house and he’s going to wait for his wife.”
The caller, later identified as Paul Pelosi, “claimed he doesn’t know who the man is but said his name is David and he’s a friend,” the operator said.
Rachel SharpOctober 29, 2022 9:00 p.m
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Donald Trump does not address Pelosi’s attack, more than 24 hours later
Donald Trump has not acknowledged the violent attack against Paul Pelosi and has remained silent on the incident for more than 24 hours.
The former president has made several posts on his Truth Social platform on Friday and Saturday, none of which refer to the hammer attack that left the 82-year-old man needing surgery for a fractured skull.
Her silence echoes her silence on Jan. 6 when her supporters stormed the US Capitol, some of them chanting “where’s Nancy” and ransacking the House Speaker’s office.
For several hours that day, Trump did not address the nation or condemn the violence.
Meanwhile, several other Republicans have condemned the attack on Mr. Pelosi and sent their condolences to him and his wife, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Rachel Sharp October 29, 2022 8:30 pm
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Bill Maher says attack on Paul Pelosi is part of US ‘Cold Civil War’
Bill Maher has described the violent hammer attack against Paul Pelosi as part of what he described as the “cold civil war” taking place in America.
The Real Time with Bill Maher host discussed the incident on his show Friday.
“You know, this is this cold civil war that we’re in, that we’ve heard about,” he said.
“Civil wars, it will not be like the last civil war. It will be that kind of thing.
“And I think when you close that valve of letting people talk, I think these things only get worse.”
Rachel Sharp October 29, 2022 8:00 p.m
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Paul Pelosi tricked the attacker into claiming he needed a bathroom
Paul Pelosi is said to have tricked his attacker into saying he needed to use the bathroom, where he made a secret 911 call.
Sources told The LA Times about Mr. Pelosi’s quick-thinking plan to alert law enforcement to what was going on.
After the call was made, he left the line open, allowing the dispatcher to listen to the interactions between the two men.
The operator recognized that something was wrong and dispatched officers to the scene as an emergency.
Rachel Sharp October 29, 2022 7:30 pm
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MP Debbie Dingell says violence ‘is putting our democracy at risk’
MP Debbie Dingell has warned that politically motivated violence and threats are “endangering our democracy” in the wake of the attack on Paul Pelosi, as she urged people to “be nice” .
Ms. Dingell told MSNBC on Friday that the attack on the House speaker’s husband was “part of a pattern” that was occurring even before the riots in the US Capitol.
“This is a…