US House Speaker Talks about Attack on Husband

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that last month's attack on her husband last month will affect her decision on whether to remain in Congress after the midterm election.

The midterm elections were held Tuesday.

The Democratic leader also called on Republicans to stop the misinformation that is fueling political violence. And she urged Americans to "vote to defend our democracy."

In an interview with CNN, Pelosi did not say what her plans would be if her party loses the House majority. But many believe Pelosi and others would step down.

Pelosi was filled with emotion when she described the attack on her 82-year-old husband and the sadness she felt for the country.

"I'm sad because of my husband, but I'm also sad for our country," Pelosi said. "I just want people to vote and we will respect the outcome of the election, and I would hope that the other side would do that as well."

Pelosi spoke¹ about her husband for the first time publicly on the day before the midterm elections. Democrats² are struggling to keep control of Congress at a time of rising threats of violence against lawmakers and concerns over the U.S. election.

Pelosi was asked whether she had made a decision about remaining in Congress. "I have to say my decision will be affected³ about what happened in the last week or two," Pelosi said on CNN.

Some Republicans, including the son of former president Donald Trump⁴ and even new Twitter owner Elon Musk⁵, have made fun of the attack, despite the seriousness of it.

"There has to be some message to the Republicans to stop the disinformation," Pelosi said. "We want the country to heal."

Pelosi's husband Paul was attacked 11 days before the election by a man who broke into their home in San Francisco, California. Officials said he was looking for the speaker before hitting Paul in the head with a hammer. The attacker told police he wanted to talk to Speaker Pelosi and would "break her kneecaps" as a lesson to other Democrats. Paul Pelosi suffered a broken skull⁶ and other injuries in what officials call a planned political attack.

Pelosi said the hammer hit her husband in two places but did not enter his brain. Pelosi said he would have a long recovery.

She said the attack on her husband of nearly 60 years was fueled by misinformation "that has no place in our democracy."

Pelosi told CNN that she was "very scared" when she learned about the attack early on the morning of October 28. "I'm thinking my children, my grandchildren. I never thought it would be Paul," she said.

The attacker

David DePape is being held in San Francisco jail. He pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges. He also faces federal charges of attempted kidnapping of an elected official.

Officials said DePape allegedly broke into the Pelosi home, woke up Paul Pelosi, and demanded to talk to "Nancy." When Paul Pelosi told the man his wife was out of town, DePape said he would wait. After Paul Pelosi called 911, the phone number for reporting an emergency, officers arrived to see the two men struggling over a hammer. Then DePape hit Paul Pelosi at least once in the head with the hammer.

DePape later told police he wanted to kidnap the speaker. He threatened to injure her "to show other members of Congress there were consequences to actions."

Pelosi has said little since the attack on her husband. But she spoke in an online call to activists⁸ late last week after her husband was released from the hospital.

"People say to me, ‘What can I do to make you feel better?' I say: ‘Vote!'" Pelosi told those on the call.

Words in This Story

interview — n. a meeting at which people talk to each other in order to ask questions and get information:

hammer — n. a tool that has a heavy metal head attached to a handle and that is used for hitting nails or breaking things apart

allege⁷ — v. to state without definite proof that someone has done something wrong or illegal

consequence — n. something that happens as a result of a particular action or set of conditions

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

6 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

7 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》