Assailant of US House Speaker's Husband: Were There More Targets? Trump Says "San Francisco Security Is Serious"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Josel Gina] It has been reported that the assailant who attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of Nancy Pelosi, the third in the U.S. power hierarchy and Speaker of the House, with a blunt weapon had an so-called 'attack target list' indicating an intention to attack more people. During the police investigation, the assailant also took Speaker Pelosi hostage and said he wanted to "break her knees."

On the 31st (local time), CBS News, citing judicial authorities, reported that David DePape (41), the assailant who attacked Paul Pelosi, may have planned to attack more politicians. However, the list has not been disclosed. It is also unknown which specific individuals were included.

The federal prosecutors charged DePape on the same day with assault and attempted kidnapping. According to the affidavit submitted to the court, DePape encountered Paul Pelosi asleep in the couple's bedroom at Speaker Pelosi's San Francisco residence around 2 a.m. on the 28th. It was confirmed that he had a roll of tape, rope, ties, and two hammers at the time of the attack. DePape was arrested that day on charges including attempted murder, elder abuse, trespassing, and assault with a dangerous blunt instrument. Paul Pelosi was attacked with a blunt weapon, suffered a skull fracture requiring surgery, and sustained injuries to his arm and hand.

The attack was initially presumed to be targeted at Speaker Pelosi. Police explained that after the assailant broke into Speaker Pelosi's home, he shouted "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy" while searching for her before encountering her husband. It is also known that he intended to tie up Paul Pelosi until Speaker Pelosi returned home.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Investigators drew a line against conspiracy theories circulating about the attack occurring ahead of the November midterm elections, stating, "The assailant was targeting Speaker Pelosi." Prosecutor Brooke Jenkins told the Associated Press, "When police arrived, only Paul Pelosi and the assailant were at Speaker Pelosi's residence. I want to make it clear that there was no third party," adding, "There is no evidence suggesting that the two knew each other before this incident."

Earlier, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and recent acquirer of Twitter, spread conspiracy theories insulting Speaker Pelosi's husband, who was recently attacked, via tweets but deleted them after receiving criticism.

Former President Donald Trump, who had remained silent until now, responded to the Paul Pelosi attack as "horrible," also mentioning public safety issues in cities where Democrats hold elected office.

In an interview with the conservative Spanish-language media Americano Media, former President Trump said, "It is a terrible thing," adding, "Look at what generally happens in San Francisco. Look at what happens in Chicago. It's worse than Afghanistan." Both San Francisco and Chicago's mayors are Democrats.

This is interpreted as an attempt to link the attack issue to crime rates, one of the Republican Party's main campaign topics ahead of the November midterm elections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.