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An on-air correspondent for NBC News has been suspended over a report involving the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, last month. According to the Daily Beast on Monday, the network suspended Miguel Almaguer pending an investigation regarding his report on the Oct. 18 incident which occurred at the Pelosi residence in San Francisco. His report aired on the “Today” show on Nov. 4.
In his report, Almaguer quoted unnamed sources who said that responding police officers were told it was a “high-priority call” but they were not actually aware that Paul Pelosi was in any danger when they arrived around 2:30 a.m.
“After a ‘knock and announce,’ the front door was opened by Mr. Pelosi,” Almaguer reported. “The 82-year-old did not immediately declare an emergency or try to leave his home but instead began walking several feet back into the foyer toward the assailant and away from police. It’s unclear if the 82-year-old was already injured or what his mental state was, say sources.”
NBC on Paul Pelosi:
“The front door was opened by Mr. Pelosi. He did not declare an emergency or try to leave his home, instead began walking several feet back towards the assailant and away from police." pic.twitter.com/PArqbcPAWB
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) November 4, 2022
Not long afterward, the report was pulled from all NBC News platforms, reports said, with the network announcing: “This piece has been removed from publication because it did not meet NBC News reporting standards.”
The Blaze noted that the explainer only raised more questions: “The network … did not explain what about the report failed to meet its editorial standards, nor did the company explain how the story managed to air if the story did not go through proper vetting channels.”
Fox News Digital noted further:
NBC News national correspondent Miguel Almaguer hasn’t appeared on the network in 11 days since his explosive report on the Paul Pelosi attack was retracted, but he and NBC News have remained silent since the scrubbing of his report suggesting the House Speaker’s husband may not have been in danger when police arrived.
The ordeal has puzzled NBC News insiders, with some believing the report was squashed because it went against the mainstream narrative. A former senior NBC News executive who worked with Almaguer believes the network needs to explain what’s going on.
“NBC News must be more transparent with its viewers about this error. Who wrote Miguel’s script? Who approved the script? Are he and his producers suspended during an internal investigation? NBC’s silence on this matter speaks volumes. NBC owes it to its audience to be truthful and not cover this up,” the former executive said.
Fox News Digital added: “The NBC News report attempted to answer lingering questions about the alleged home invasion that left Paul Pelosi with a fractured skull. Almaguer cited sources familiar with the situation who said the police didn’t know they were responding to the Pelosi residence, Pelosi opened the door but didn’t attempt to escape or declare an emergency, and even walked away from law enforcement and toward his eventual attacker.”
The suspect has been charged in the incident.
David Wayne DePape, 42, of the San Francisco suburb of Richmond, was indicted by a federal grand jury after being arrested for the alleged attack on Oct. 28, Axios reported. He stands accused of breaking into the home and attacking Pelosi with a hammer. Pelosi later underwent surgery for a fractured skull. He was also treated for serious injuries to his right arm and hand.
“DePape is charged with one count of assault on an immediate family member of a U.S. official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of their performance of official duties,” Axios reported. “He’s also charged with one count of attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official on account of the performance of official duties.”
The Justice Department noted in a press release:
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.
According to the indictment, 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 was injured on the ground. As set forth in the indictment, 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.
“If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for the assault count and 20 years in prison for the attempted kidnapping count,” the DoJ noted further.
