Nancy Pelosi’s husband in hospital after ‘violent assault’ with hammer at home

Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is in hospital after he was assaulted during a home invasion at the couple’s California residence, her office has said.

A spokesperson for Ms Pelosi, Drew Hammill, said Mr Pelosi’s assailant “broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted” the Speaker’s husband. Ms Pelosi was not home at the time, he said.

“Mr Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery,” he said.

Mr Hammill also said the person who assaulted Mr Pelosi was taken into custody by police, who are investigating the motivation for the assault.

“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” he added.

Mr Pelosi, a stockbroker who was born and raised in San Francisco, has been married to Ms Pelosi, a native of Baltimore, since 1963.

He became an object of fascination for conservative media outlets in May 2022 after police arrested him for driving under the influence of alcohol. He pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2022 and recieved a sentence of five days in jail, three years probation, and a $6,800 fine.

Right-wing media figures accused law enforcement in San Francisco of soft-pedaling the charges against Mr Pelosi, though no evidence exists which suggests his sentence was out of the ordinary for a first-time DUI offender.

Mr Pelosi also faced increased criticism about his trading stocks as Democratic members of Congress have proposed banning members and their spouses from trading stocks. The House failed to pass a bill banning the practice before it adjourned for the midterms at the end of last month.

The assault on Mr Pelosi comes as law enforcement officials have reported record numbers of threats against elected officials by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

Crime in San Francisco has also become a focal point for local political leaders, with San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin facing a recall for his criminal justice policies. Republicans have also attacked Democrats throughout the campaign – particularly in states like California, New York and Pennsylvania – for being soft on crime.

Numerous high-profile Democrats and some anti-Trump Republicans have had to spend campaign and official funds to pay for extra security, and the US Capitol Police has had to provide some members with their own security details. Similarly, Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s Democratic Secretary of State who is running for governor, had her headquarters broken into earlier this week.

Ms Pelosi, who has long had a Capitol Police security detail during her time as Speaker and as the leader of House Democrats, was also the target of violent pro-Trump rioters during the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting massacre, offered well wishes on Friday.

“I will await more news on this violent attack, however, the violence that is unleashed by those trying to break our Democracy is something that we cannot ignore,” he tweeted.