By: Jason Li
The story of the brutal October 28th clubbing of Paul Pelosi, 82 began with a man that needed answers.
David DePape broke into the Pelosi residence around 2 am that day demanding to talk to Pelosi’s wife, United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. When DePape learned she wasn’t home yet, he was willing to wait.
Paul Pelosi learned soon that DePape’s intentions weren’t exactly noble.
Sitting on his bed, he asked DePape why he wanted to talk to his wife.
DePape said, “Well, she’s No. 2 in line for the presidency, right?” Shortly after, he said, “we’ve got to take them all out.”
He also stated that he intended to take the House Speaker hostage and perhaps break her kneecaps.
Pelosi was able to alert the police in the bathroom around 23 minutes later. When police eventually arrived on the scene, they saw both men, each brandishing a hammer. When DePape realized what was happening, he grabbed Pelosi’s hammer and began beating Pelosi with the hammer, which fractured his skull. Officers immediately rushed to subdue DePape.
In a later interview with cops, DePape stated that Pelosi was “taking the punishment instead” of the House Speaker.
Pelosi was rushed to the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, where he underwent surgery on his skull, hands, and arms and was routinely visited by family. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
DePape reportedly had zip ties and duct tape in a bag that he brought to the Pelosi residence.
He also reportedly had a blog and social media accounts where he spread far-right views on topics such as Pizzagate, QAnon, and the 2020 presidential election.
Nancy Pelosi wrote a letter to her fellow House members on Saturday on how she was deeply traumatized by the incident.
She stated, “Yesterday morning, a violent man broke into our family home, demanded to confront me and brutally attacked my husband Paul. Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop.”
Meanwhile, DePape, 42, was charged by federal prosecutors with charges of assault of a relative of a federal official and attempted kidnapping of a federal official.
State prosecutors have also charged DePape with six felonies: assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment of an elder, attempted murder, residential burglary, elder abuse, and threatening family members of public officials. DePape pleaded not guilty to the state charges on Tuesday in a short appearance in a San Francisco courthouse.
DePape faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted of the federal charges.