House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly said her political future will be influenced by the recent attack on her husband, in aninterview airing Monday on CNN.
Asked whether she might retire if Democrats lose the House majority, she said her “decision will be affected about what happened the last week or two.”
The speaker’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer in their San Francisco home less than two weeks ago. A suspect, David DePape, allegedlysought to kidnap the speaker and harm other Democrats, in an attack that has drawn further concern about Republican rhetoric and threats of political violence.
When asked for clarification during the interview by host Anderson Cooper, Pelosi affirmed two additional times that her decision would be affected by the attack.
Many people in Pelosi’s party have said theyexpect her to step down if Democrats lose the House majority this week — as POLITICO hasforecast is likely. She has led House Democrats for two decades.
The speaker also described on Monday, in greater detail than she has publicly, her experience of the early morning when her husband was attacked.
When she woke up in Washington to the doorbell ringing around 5 a.m., Pelosi initially thought someone rang “the wrong apartment,” she said in the interview.
After hearing another ring and “bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the door,” Pelosi said, she ran to the door “very scared.” Upon seeing Capitol Police, Pelosi said, she thought of her children and grandchildren, since she knew her husband “wouldn’t be out and about.”
“I never thought it would be Paul,” Pelosi said.
The Justice Department hascharged the 42-year-old DePape with assault and attempted kidnapping in relation to the attack.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also filed six separate felony accounts against DePape, including attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, and threats to a public official and their family.
DePape has entered a plea of not guilty on the state charges.
