Editor’s note: The interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will air on “Anderson Cooper 360” at 8 p.m. ET.
CNN
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed how she learned that her husband, Paul, had been attackedtelling CNN’s Anderson Cooper that she was “very scared” when Capitol police knocked on the door.
Pelosi said in her first interview since the attack that she slept in Washington, DC, having arrived the previous night from San Francisco when her doorbell rang early in the morning. “I look up, I see it’s 5 [a.m. ET]they must be in the wrong apartment,” she told Cooper after he asked her where she was when she heard the news.
Pelosi went on to say that the doorbell rang again, and then she heard “bang, bang, bang, bang, bang at the door.”
“So I run for the door and I’m really scared,” Pelosi said, describing what happened. “I see the Capitol Police and they say, ‘We need to come in to talk to you. “”
Pelosi described how her thoughts immediately turned to her children and grandchildren.
“And I think of my children, my grandchildren. I never thought it would be Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn’t be out, shall we say. And so they entered. At that time, we didn’t even know where he was,” she said.
The violent attack of Paul Pelosi sparked new concerns over threats of political violence driven by partisan animosity and increasingly hostile political rhetoric – and has highlighted the potential vulnerability of lawmakers and their families in the current political climate.
Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer at the couple’s home in San Francisco by an assailant late last month, authorities said. The assailant who attacked him was looking for the Speaker of the House, according to court documents.
David DePape is charged with six counts related to the attack, including attempted murder, burglary, assault, forcible confinement and threats to a family member of a public official. He pleaded not guilty to all charges against the state.
After the attack, Paul Pelosi underwent surgery “to repair a fractured skull and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” Drew Hammill, spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi, said in an earlier statement. He was released from hospital last week.
Nancy Pelosi has also indicated that the attack on her husband will factor into her decision about her own political future after the midterm elections.
Pelosi, one of the most powerful figures in national Democratic politics, has earned a reputation as a formidable leader among House Democrats who wields significant influence in his caucus. But speculation is mounting in Washington over what Pelosi’s next move will be and whether she would decide to retire if Republicans regain a majority.
During Monday’s interview, Cooper asked Pelosi if she would confirm that she had made a decision, one way or another, about what she would do, noting that there has been ” a lot of talk about whether you would retire if the Democrats lost the House.” .”
The speaker said “the decision will be affected by what has happened in the last week or two”, prompting Cooper to ask: “Will your decision be affected by the attack in any way? whether it be ?”
“Yeah,” Pelosi said.
“It will be?” Cooper asked.
“Yes,” repeated Pelosi.
This story was updated with additional developments on Monday.