Overnight, a terrifying incident took place at the Pelosi family home. Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was reportedly attacked when an intruder broke in.
"Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi," a statement from Drew Hammill, spokesman for Nancy Pelosi reads.
The 82-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital "where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery." According to the Associated Press, Paul Pelosi was reportedly beaten in the head with a hammer and treated for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries.
Nancy Pelosi was not in San Francisco at the time of the attack. Authorities are searching for a motive. Currently, it's unclear who the intruder was trying to harm. But according the House speaker's office, the assailant is in custody.
The incident is incredibly jarring, but it's not the first time the Democratic House speaker, or her family, has been targeted.
A North Carolina man was sentenced in December 2021 to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to threatening to shoot Nancy Pelosi. He had traveled to Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021, planning to take part in the insurrection, but apparently did not arrive until the rioting was over.
In February, a 77-year-old Arizona man was sentenced to 21 months behind bars for threatening to kill Nancy Pelosi. He had reportedly made the threats in messages sent to her office.
And in April, a 60-year-old Florida man was sentenced for threatening the House speaker. Paul Hoeffer received an 18 month sentence for vowing to behead Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York.
According to the US Capitol Police, there has been a massive rise in threats such as these since 2017. Threats have reportedly increased 144%.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, Paul Pelosi does not receive the same protections as his wife. Because he is not an elected official, when he is not with the House speaker, he is without security from the US Capitol Police.
