SAN FRANCISCO: US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi was assaulted during a break-in at their San Francisco home early on Friday and a suspect has been arrested, authorities said.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, Pelosi’s office said.

The Democratic speaker, who is second in the succession line of the US presidency, was in Washington with her protective detail at the time of the assault, according to the US Capitol Police. A motive for the attack was still under investigation, the Capitol Police said.

The Associated Press reported that the attack was not random and the assailant specifically targeted the home. The speaker’s office said Paul Pelosi was “violently assaulted”. The circumstances of the attack were unclear, including how the intruder got into the home.

Attack comes less than two weeks before US midterm elections, in which control of Senate and House is at stake

The assault comes less than two weeks before the Nov 8 midterm elections, in which control of the House and the Senate is at stake.

The San Francisco Police said it responded to a home break-in and took a suspect into custody.

On Friday morning, police closed off streets around the Pelosi residence, a three-story red brick townhouse in the upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood.

Paul Pelosi was being treated for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries after being severely beaten in the head and body by an assailant wielding a hammer, the Associated Press reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the investigation.

Biden calls Pelosi

President Joe Biden called Pelosi on Friday morning to express his support, according to White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.

The Capitol Police, responsible for protecting Congress, said it was working with the FBI and the San Francisco Police on the investigation. New York City Police earlier warned that extremists could target politicians, political events and polling sites ahead of the midterm elections.

Republicans have been campaigning on concerns about violent crime, as well as inflation and other quality-of-life issues.

As a Democratic leader in Washington and a longtime representative from one of America’s most liberal cities, Pelosi, is a frequent target for Republican criticism and is often featured in attack ads. Her office was ransacked during the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump, some of whom hunted for her during the assault.

In January 2021, her home was vandalized with graffiti saying “Cancel rent” and “We want everything” painted on the house and a pig’s head left in front of the garage, according to media reports.

In a politically polarized climate, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have reported receiving death threats and other harassment. A gunman angered by Trump shot and wounded five Republican members of Congress at a baseball practice in 2017, and Democrat Gabby Giffords was shot in the head at a public appearance in 2011.

Paul Pelosi owns a San Francisco-based real estate and venture capital firm, was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol after becoming involved in an auto accident in May. He was sentenced to five days in jail in Napa County, California.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2022