A man attacked the husband of Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democrats in the United States Congress, in his own home, San Francisco police reported Friday. But the alleged attacker was actually looking for the speaker of the House of Representatives, according to several American media – a new illustration of the dangers hovering over elected officials two weeks before the midterm elections.
The suspect entered the couple’s home around 2:30 a.m. Friday, Northern California Metropolitan Police Chief Bill Scott said. According to several American media, this 42-year-old man would have shouted “where is Nancy? “, the first name of the politician, during her irruption. Ms Pelosi was in Washington at the time of the attack.
Her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to hospital, where he is receiving “excellent care”, said the Democratic leader’s spokesman, Drew Hammill.
The motives of the suspect, who has been taken into custody, are the subject of an investigation involving the federal police – the FBI – and the Capitol police, responsible for protecting members of Congress.
The entire American political class strongly condemned this attack. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden spoke with Ms. Pelosi in the morning. Senate Republican Opposition Leader Mitch McConnell said he was “horrified and disgusted” by the news.
Renewed violence
In recent months, many elected officials have warned against the resurgence of violence targeting the American political class, Republican Senator Susan Collins declaring that she would not be “surprised” if an elected official or senator “was killed”. “What was originally only aggressive phone calls now translates into real threats and violence,” assured the 69-year-old elected after an individual broke a window in his home in the city. Maine.
“This violence is terrifying”, denounced Friday the elected progressive Pramila Jayapal, who had herself had to call the authorities when a man had gone to his home several times in July, uttering insults with a weapon at the belt.
Acts of violence against American elected officials are not new. In January 2011, Democrat Gabby Giffords was close to death after being shot in the head during a citizens’ meeting in Tucson. But according to Capitol Police, threats against members of Congress have more than doubled since 2017, when Donald Trump was inaugurated.
Experts are particularly concerned about attacks from far-right groups. Several members of these militias are accused of having heavily armed themselves to attack the Capitol in order to keep Donald Trump in power on January 6, 2021. On this cold winter day, thousands of supporters of the former president had plunged the capital of the United States in chaos, forcing elected officials to evacuate the hemicycle of the House of Representatives by crawling, gas masks on their heads.
Several demonstrators then broke into Nancy Pelosi’s office and marched through the halls of Congress, shouting, “Where are you Nancy? »