House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi.
Michael A. McCoy/Reuters
An assailant reportedly asked Paul Pelosi, “Where’s Nancy?” during an early morning attack.
Speaker Pelosi was back in Washington during the attack.
The reported words underline the increasing threats that lawmakers are facing.
The attacker who broke into Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home and violently beat her husband with a hammer early Friday morning was reportedly searching for the House speaker.
A source briefed on the attack told CNN that the intruder shouted “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?” at the speaker’s husband, Paul Pelosi, after breaking into the home just before 2:30 a.m. CNN reported that the attacker also tried to tie Pelosi up, saying he was waiting for the speaker.
A person briefed on the situation also told the Associated Press that the assailant was looking for Nancy Pelosi and shouted: “Where is Nancy?”
Paul Pelosi, 82, was attacked while Speaker Pelosi was in Washington, DC, with her protective detail, authorities have said.
A suspect, whose identity was not immediately released, has been taken into police custody.
The attack left Paul Pelosi hospitalized with blunt force trauma to his head and body, per the AP.
“The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation,” the House speaker’s office said in a Friday morning statement, which added that Paul Pelosi was taken to a local hospital, where he “is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery.”
The description of the attack bears similarities to what unfolded inside the Capitol on January 6. Pelosi was hurried out of the complex by security, but her top aides remained in her office suite where rioters would later bang on the doors, shouting “Where’s Nancy?”. One rioter infamously posed for a photo with his feet on a desk.
Capitol Police has repeatedly said that threats on lawmakers are increasing. Pelosi and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s homes were vandalized in January 2021. Democrats pushed to spend tens of millions more on the agency tasked with protecting lawmakers in the wake of the riot.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.