Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat Speaker of the US House of Representatives, is seriously considering retiring from the US Congress and politics altogether.
Why?
Well it’s partly because of the recent hammer attack on her husband, multimillionaire Paul Pelosi.
The attack left her stunned, and Pelosi says she’s rethinking everything now.
Pelosi Reveals Break-in Shock for the First Time
Pelosi, 82, did not declare with certainty she was about to quit politics but revealed she was mulling a retirement as she spoke with CNN host Anderson Cooper in her first TV interview since the incident at the family home in San Francisco.
An illegal immigrant from Canada, David DePape, 42, broke into the Pelosis’ home the morning of October 28, reportedly seeking to capture the US House Speaker and force her to answer “questions.”
Nancy Pelosi had left for Washington, DC, the previous day, so the man, who has mental health problems, ended up in a fight with her 82-year-old husband Paul and fractured his skull with a hammer he had brought with him.
According to the local police, the skirmish between the two happened after police officers had arrived following Paul Pelosi’s 911 call.
There had already been speculations that Nancy Pelosi may quit the House of Representatives if the Democrats get routed in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with reports claiming that she may anoint one of her daughters, Democrat activist Christine Pelosi, as her successor.
Nancy Pelosi has been a member of the House since 1987, for 18 consecutive terms. She has served as Speaker since 2019 and previously from 2009-2011.
Nancy Pelosi on CNN about attack the on her husband: "I never thought it would be Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn't be out and about shall we say" pic.twitter.com/3bSvBNqZgq
— 3sidedstory 🇺🇲 (@3sidedstory) November 7, 2022
Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells CNN her husband’s first words to his family after his attack involved a lighthearted exchange about his wife’s Baltimore ties and love for the Ravens. @wjz Video: CNN pic.twitter.com/QbnZEQTvZa
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) November 8, 2022
Hammer Attack ‘Affecting’ Nancy Pelosi’s Decision on Quitting US Politics
In her CNN interview, Pelosi told how she was woken up by Capitol Police officers at 5 am the morning of the attack on her husband and how astonished she was to learn that it was Paul Pelosi who had been attacked rather than some of her children or grandchildren.
She recalled the horror of learning about the assault, and not knowing about her husband’s condition, as she was at first only told that he had been attacked in their San Francisco home.
Nancy Pelosi made it clear she felt guilty that Paul got attacked when DePape was actually looking for her.
When Cooper asked her to confirm or deny whether she would be quitting the US Congress and politics, she said she hadn’t made up her mind yet but that her decision “will be affected” by “what happened” over the past 1-2 weeks.
The CNN anchor persisted by questioning whether her decision would be “impacted” by what had happened.
“Yes,” was her simple answer.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi describes the moment she learned about the attack on her husband, in her first sit-down interview since the violence in their home https://t.co/5EnEAdoRM6 pic.twitter.com/LW0aUmDw4A
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 7, 2022
The Current Situation
Paul Pelosi has been recovering in intensive care after his skull surgery but has given statements to investigators from the FBI, the San Francisco Police, the San Francisco DA’s Office, and the Capitol Police.
DePape has told the investigators he knew the police were coming but claimed he didn’t have the option of leaving because he was fighting tyranny like America’s founding fathers fought against the British during the American Revolution. He faces multiple state and federal charges and may receive a life sentence if found guilty.
This article appeared in The State Today and has been published here with permission.
