Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin sent Speaker Nancy Pelosi a written apology for his comments making light of the attack on her husband Paul Pelosi, spokespeople confirmed Wednesday.
Youngkin, a Republican, had infuriated Democrats by saying at a campaign event that took place the same day as the Oct. 28 attack on Paul Pelosi: “there’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re going to send her back to be with him in California.”
A Pelosi spokesperson said the speaker had accepted the apology, which had been postmarked Nov. 1.
A statement from Youngkin provided through his office also condemned the violence and said it was a “personal note” between him and Pelosi.
“My full intention on my comments was to categorically state that violence and the kind of violence that was perpetrated against Speaker Pelosi’s husband is not just unacceptable, it’s atrocious. And I didn’t do a great job with that,” he said. “And so listen, it was a personal note and it was one between me and the speaker, just to reflect those sentiments.”
Youngkin had also previously backtracked on his comments publicly on Nov. 1, telling a Punchbowl News reporter he’d meant to call the incident “atrocious.” Punchbowl also first reported on the note to Pelosi.
Paul Pelosi was hospitalized after David DePape allegedly broke into the Pelosi home and attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer. He told police he was seeking the speaker and planning to hold her hostage, according to court filings. Paul Pelosi has since been discharged from the hospital, but Nancy Pelosi has indicated her husband has a long recovery ahead.
DePape faces separate local and federal charges that, if convicted, could put him in prison for decades. Court filings have shown DePape was likely driven to violence by conspiracy theories and beliefs Pelosi was leading a corrupt political establishment.
Although Pelosi has not given any public indication whether she plans to continue leading House Democrats after the midterm elections, she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in a recent interview her plans would be influenced in part by the attack on her husband.
