OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
House Speaker and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi has made a retirement announcement.
On the eve of Election Day, where the Democrats are predicted to be defeated by Republicans in the House the Speaker has said the attack on her husband Paul Pelosi would affect her decision to retire, CNN reported.
In an exclusive interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper the host said that there has “been a lot of discussion about whether you’d retire if Democrats lose the House.”
The speaker responded by saying that the “decision will be affected about what happened the last week or two,” which got Cooper to ask, “Will your decision be impacted by the attack in any way?”
“Yes,” the Speaker said.
“It will?” the anchor asked.
“Yes,” she said.
It is likely that she will not be Speaker in 2023 as Republicans are predicted to win back the majority in the House and many speculated that she would retire if that were the case.
But now with the attack on her husband that appears to be the reasoning for her decision, if she does retire.
Describing when she was informed of the attack she said that the doorbell rang and then she heard “bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the door.”
“So I run to the door, and I’m very scared,” she said. “I see the Capitol Police and they say, ‘We have to come in to talk to you.’”
Her immediate thoughts were of her children and her grandchildren.
“And I’m thinking my children, my grandchildren. I never thought it would be Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn’t be out and about, shall we say. And so they came in. At that time, we didn’t even know where he was,” she said.
The Speaker broke her silence since this weekend after the vicious attack on her husband Paul Pelosi.
The 82-year-old hammer attack victim has returned home and the Speaker thanked everyone for their concern.
“With a grateful heart I thank all who sent kind words and prayers for Paul. It’s a long road but he will be well. Our security, our Democracy, our planet, our values are on the ballot. Believe that we will win — and help Get Out The Vote to make it so,” she said with an attached video.
Her husband was bludgeoned to near death and she is still using the opportunity to tell people to vote.
“Paul came home yesterday. That enables me to be at home with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your kind words, and your good wishes for Paul,” she said on a video call.
“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.
With a grateful heart I thank all who sent kind words and prayers for Paul. It’s a long road but he will be well.
Our security, our Democracy, our planet, our values are on the ballot. Believe that we will win — and help Get Out The Vote to make it so.-NPhttps://t.co/sWs0cfdQJN
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) November 4, 2022
David DePape, the man who allegedly attacked Paul Pelosi in his home, has been hit with two federal charges and six state charges.
The Department of Justice filed the charges on Monday and said that the attacker admitted that he wanted to hold House Speaker and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi hostage and get her to tell the “truth” and if she did not he was prepared to break her kneecaps, it said. He said he wanted her to be wheeled into Congress as a warning to other Congressmembers that there were consequences for their actions.
“DEPAPE stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her. If Nancy were to tell DEPAPE the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps. DEPAPE was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth,’” the Department of Justice said.
“In the course of the interview, DEPAPE articulated he viewed Nancy as the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party. DEPAPE also later explained that by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other Members of Congress there were consequences to actions,” it said.
“DEPAPE also explained generally that he wanted to use Nancy to lure another individual to DEPAPE,” it said.
The Department of Justice issued a press release on the suspect and the charges.
“A California man was charged today with assault and attempted kidnapping in violation of federal law in connection with the break-in at the residence of Nancy and Paul Pelosi in San Francisco on Friday,” the department said.
“According to the complaint, David Wayne DePape, 42, of Richmond, was arrested on Friday inside the Pelosi residence by San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) police officers responding to a 911 call from Paul Pelosi, husband of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Paul Pelosi later described to police that he had been asleep when DePape, whom he had never seen before, entered his bedroom looking for Nancy Pelosi,” it said.
“According to the complaint, minutes after the 911 call, two police officers responded to the Pelosi residence where they encountered Paul Pelosi and DePape struggling over a hammer. Officers told the men to drop the hammer, and DePape allegedly gained control of the hammer and swung it, striking Pelosi in the head. Officers immediately restrained DePape, while Pelosi appeared to be unconscious on the ground. As set forth in the complaint, once DePape was restrained, officers secured a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties from the crime scene, where officers also observed a broken glass door to the back porch,” the department said.
“DePape is charged with one count of assault of an immediate family member of a United States official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. DePape is also charged with one count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official on account of the performance of official duties, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison,” it said.
“U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp of the FBI San Francisco Field Office, and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police made the announcement,” the department said.
“The Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case.
