Nancy Pelosi Speaks on Camera for First Time Since Husband’s Attack

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (L) and her husband Paul Pelosi, outside of 10 Downing Street in central London, on Sept. 16, 2021. Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has spoken on camera for the first time about her husband, Paul Pelosi’s condition after he was attacked in their home last week.

Pelosi opened a 28-minute video about the upcoming midterm election by giving a brief update about her husband, who returned to their residence from the hospital on Thursday.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for kind words, your prayers, and your good wishes for Paul,” Pelosi said.

“It’s going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And, it’s just so tragic how it happened, but nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. He’s surrounded by family, so that’s a wonderful thing,” she said.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was released from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital about one week after he was attacked inside his home.

In a statement on Thursday, Pelosi said her husband remains under doctors’ care as he starts a long recovery process and convalescence.

“He is now home surrounded by his family who request privacy,” she said.

Incident

Paul Pelosi was treated at the hospital after the attack on Oct. 28, when David DePape, 42, allegedly broke into the Pelosi residence and “violently assaulted” the elderly man, according to local and federal authorities.

According to authorities, DePape struck Paul Pelosi with a hammer at least once in the presence of police officers who had responded to a 911 call from Paul Pelosi.

Paul Pelosi suffered a skull fracture and “serious injuries” to his right arm and hands, according to Nancy Pelosi’s office and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. He underwent emergency surgery at the hospital.

David DePape in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2013. Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

DePape, a Canadian who is in the country illegally, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, burglary, and elder abuse, as well as federal charges of assault of an immediate family member of a U.S. official and attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official.

Paul Pelosi has not spoken publicly since the attack. While being taken to the hospital in the ambulance, he told a police officer that he'd never seen DePape before and recounted DePape asking about his wife.

According to a court filing from the district attorney, Paul Pelosi asked DePape for permission to use the bathroom, from which he called 911.

During the call, Paul Pelosi said that he didn’t know who DePape was, while DePape described himself as “a friend” of the family.

Paul Pelosi spoke to officers again on Oct. 30, telling them that the hammer DePape used did not belong to the Pelosi family.

The incident has prompted mounting calls for authorities to release the 911 call that Paul Pelosi made, as well as the body camera footage of the responding officers, which authorities have so far refused to release.