Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said it would be a “very hard thing” to watch the video of the violent attack on her husband in the couple’s San Francisco home. The footage is set to be released on Friday morning.
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Pelosi said her biggest concern is her husband’s well-being, adding that he hopes to recover in a day.
“I didn’t even know I was going to see it,” Pelosi said of the footage. “I mean, it’s going to be really hard to see an attack on my husband’s life.”
Earlier this week, a California judge ordered the release of body camera footage of officers who responded to the attack, denying requests from the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to keep it confidential.
Prosecutors have warned that the video could be exploited by conspiracy theorists, while news organizations have argued that it does not violate the public’s right to access the material. The footage was previously shown during the preliminary hearing.
The video will be available to accredited media on Friday morning, along with other evidence in the case, including Paul Pelosi’s 911 call, footage from surveillance cameras installed by the Capitol Police on the property and police interviews of the attacker, San Francisco Superior. The court said.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was attacked with a hammer in his home in late October. David DePape allegedly broke into the property in hopes of kidnapping Nancy Pelosi, who was then second in line to the presidency.
Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 during the break-in. When officers arrived at the home, they witnessed two men fighting with a hammer, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said DePape refused to put down the hammer at police instructions and struck Pelosi in the head, leaving her unconscious in a pool of her own blood.
DePape later said he plans to target more lawmakers.
He now faces federal and state charges in connection with the attack. He has pleaded not guilty.
The former speaker estimates it will take at least three months before her husband, who underwent surgery for a fractured skull and injuries to his right hand and arm following the attack, fully recovers.
The pair have made limited public appearances since the attack, including when President Joe Biden welcomed the Golden State Warriors to the White House. “He’s been out a little bit because the doctor said he’s going to have to wait,” Pelosi told CNN’s Chris Wallace earlier this month.
Pelosi announced in November that she would step down as House leader, ending her historic tenure at the top of the caucus.
“I was probably going to leave,” Maureen Dowd told the New York Times in a recent interview when asked if her husband’s attack was her decision. “Say if we win by 20 votes and that’s a big one, I might stick with it.”
Republicans won control of the House by a narrow majority after a poor performance in last year’s midterm elections.