President Joe Biden denounced the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband and home invasion as an assault on democracy in remarks made Wednesday evening.
Paul Pelosi was struck in the head with a hammer by an intruder at their Pacific Heights home in San Francisco on Oct 28.
The president made the comments in a 15-minute speech at Union Station in Washington, D.C.
“We must with an overwhelming voice stand against political violence and voter intimidation,” President Biden said. “We don’t settle our differences in America with a riot, a mob or a bullet or a hammer. We settle them peaceably at the ballot box.”
The speech comes just a week before midterm elections that could see the balance of power wrested away from the Democrats, with Republicans polling toward a take-back of the House. The Senate balance of power has been described as a "coin toss" by pollsters so far.
Speaker Pelosi issued a brief statement recently thanking her supporters and the trauma team at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for their care of Mr. Pelosi, noting that her husband “is making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process.”
The alleged attacker of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband pleaded not guilty in San Francisco Superior Court on Tuesday.
Local prosecutor Phoebe Maffei argued that 42-year-old suspect and Richmond resident, David DePape—who allegedly attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer—should remain in jail without bail, saying that he was a threat to the public.
Judge Diane Northway said DePape will return to court Friday for a bail decision and will be held without bail in the meantime.