As two police officers reached the San Fransisco home of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on October 28th, the scene was like something pulled straight from the horror movies. The police found Paul Pelosi, the 87-year-old husband of the democratic party leader, face down on the ground with a pool of blood by his head. An armed intruder named David DePape had allegedly attacked Ms. Pelosi’s husband. The 42-year-old suspect had broken into the couple’s home seeking to kidnap the Speaker--who was fortunately out of town at the time of the attack. In an interview with police investigators following the attack, the suspect admitted he had planned on targeting other high-profile names, including a Hollywood A-lister.
According to a report by CBS News, a San Francisco police investigator testified that a list of future targets included the actor and everyone’s favorite adorable uncle, Tom Hanks. DePape’s list also included names such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, a local professor, and other prominent state and federal politicians and members of their families. Mr. Pelosi’s attacker reportedly said there was “evil in Washington,” and he had targeted Speaker Pelosi because she was second in line for the presidency.
Police confirmed that the suspect was heavily into conspiracy theories and claimed to be on a “suicide mission.” According to court documents, DePape smashed his way into the Pelosi’s home, confronted a sleeping Paul Pelosi, and demanded to know where “Nancy” was. Mr. Pelosi’s family has confirmed the businessman is on the mend, but the emotional scars from the attack will linger on for some time.
Police haven’t spoken publicly about why they believe DePape wanted to attack the Hollywood Superstar. Still, given the suspect’s pension for conspiracy theories, it isn’t hard to imagine why his list included the long-time Robert Langdon actor. It was reported back in 2020 by The Los Angeles Times that many prominent and outspoken Democrats (like Hanks) had become attached to wild online and politically driven conspiracy theories so outlandish they could be the plot to a Dan Brown novel.
We here at CinemaBlend want to send our thoughts and condolences to Mr. Pelosi and his family. We wish the Speaker’s husband a quick and peaceful recovery. Though the emotional impact of such a brutal attack will take some time to recover from, we are happy to hear that loved ones have surrounded Paul to help him along on his journey.
CinemaBlend readers might be interested in Pelosi in the House, a new documentary by acclaimed documentarian and the politician’s daughter, Alexandra Pelosi. The film offers a candid, behind-the-scenes chronicle of the life of her mother and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. The documentary can be enjoyed with an HBO Max subscription.
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