When people talk about politics being a bloody affair, they are usually being very metaphorical. However, the blood was very real when a violent intruder broke into Nancy Pelosi’s home. That intruder hoped to find Nancy but found her husband, Paul Pelosi, instead.
What followed was a terrifying evening of bloodshed, hostage demands, and Paul taking a trip to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital to treat a skull fracture. This attack left many Americans in shock at the violent frenzy that is increasingly becoming the norm of our culture.
Everyone couldn’t help but wonder: who was the attacker? What did he really want? And what’s going to happen next? Keep reading to discover the answers!
The identity of the attacker
Just who is this strange man who launched an unexpected attack on the Pelosi household? His name is David DePape. He is a militant right-wing fanatic who came to the Pelosis’ home in an attempt to attack Nancy Pelosi.
In many ways, the fact that DePape did not find Nancy at home reveals how brazen his plan of attack really was. He obviously didn’t know about the exact location of Nancy Pelosi. Nonetheless, he successfully made it inside the home of some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the country.
It was a plan that wasn’t necessarily well-thought-out. But DePape made up for his lack of planning with horrifying brutality that nearly took Paul Pelosi’s life.
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Details of the attack
The exact details of the attack on the Pelosis are very shocking. According to Politico, DePape made it into the house in the wee hours of Friday, October 28. He was hoping to find Nancy Pelosi at home, but found only Paul Pelosi instead. This was obvious from the way that he asked “where’s Nancy” early on in the home invasion.
As for Paul, he got permission from DePape to go to the bathroom. There, Paul dialed 911. By the time the police arrived, it was 2:30 AM, and both Paul Pelosi and his assailant were wrestling over a hammer. DePape got control of the hammer and used it to hit Paul, resulting in a skull fracture.
Fortunately, Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery and the suspect is now in police custody. And after police interrogation, he revealed even more chilling details about his violent plans.
The attacker’s true intention
When a violent intruder breaks into the Pelosis’ home and begins asking “where’s Nancy,” then it’s fair to assume he plans to kill her. However, according to DePape himself, the exact plans were more sinister than you might think.
According to CNBC, DePape’s plan was to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage. And why Pelosi? Because he saw her as “‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party.” Many have drawn a connection between the apparent motives of the attacker and typical right wing rhetoric that paints Nancy Pelosi as an evil, manipulative villain.
However, during interrogation, DePape maintains that he never planned to kill Nancy Pelosi. Instead, he planned to compel her to tell the “truth” as he saw it. If she refused, he wanted to break her kneecaps. This was meant to send a chilling message to Congress about the “consequences” of actions they took that DePape did not approve of.
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What the attacker is being charged with
Many of the details we know about this attack come from the criminal complaint filed against DePape. This complaint also tells us more about what DePape is being charged with.
Specifically, DePape is being charged with both the “assault on the immediate family member of a federal official” and “attempted kidnapping of a federal official.” With any luck, the consequences DePape now faces may serve to discourage future attackers with similar plans.
However, future attackers may not be discouraged if they have the same crazy convictions that DePape does. For example, DePape saw himself on the same level as the Founding Fathers of America and believed he was striking against tyranny. And considering that DePape was so invested in online conspiracy theories, we wouldn’t be surprised if future attackers followed in his footsteps.
A history of insane conspiracy theories
Historically, the public sees unhinged political assailants and has one big question: “just what was he thinking?” Now, in the age of social media, we can answer that question. And in DePape’s case, the answer is pretty scary!
According to Politico, DePape was a believer of many QAnon conspiracy theories. The most prominent of these theories is that the 2020 presidential election was somehow stolen by Joe Biden.
Of course, given how many other people also believe that particular lie, the most frightening thing about all of this is not DePape’s violent attack. It’s the unsettling question that we are left with: who will be the next attacker motivated by violent political rhetoric into actual violent action?