Capitol Police will devote more 'resources' to protecting leadership after attack on Pelosi's husband, chief says
- The Capitol Police chief said he'll add "redundancies" to protection for congressional leaders.
- The attack on Paul Pelosi was an "alarming reminder," he said, of the threats facing public figures.
Citing the "contentious political climate," the Capitol Police chief said Tuesday that he plans to beef up security for congressional leadership in the aftermath of the violent assault of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home in San Francisco.
Chief Tom Manger said the Capitol Police had conducted a review of the Friday assault and concluded that "today's political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for Members of Congress."
"This plan would include an emphasis on adding redundancies to the measures that are already in place for Congressional leadership," Manger added, without specifying steps the Capitol police would take. "Hopefully you can understand that we cannot disclose the details about these improvements because our country cannot afford to make it easier for any potential bad actors."
In his prepared statement, Manger said the attack on Paul Pelosi served as an "alarming reminder of the dangerous threats elected officials and public figures" face in today's charged political climate. Manger noted that federal judges and elected officials at the local level are similarly facing a rising number of threats.
Manger's statement came a day after the Justice Department charged a 42-year-old California man, David Wayne DePape, in connection with the assault of Paul Pelosi. Police arrested DePape inside the Pelosi home after responding to a 911 call to find him struggling with Paul Pelosi over a hammer. DePape then gained control of the hammer and swung it, striking Pelosi in the head, prosecutors said.
Paul Pelosi underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and other serious injuries. On Monday, Nancy Pelosi said he is"making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process."
In court papers charging DePape with assault and attempted kidnapping, federal prosecutors said DePape told police following his arrest that he hoped to hold the House speaker hostage and break "her kneecaps."
DePape referred to Pelosi during the interview as the "leader of the pack" of lies told by the Democratic Party. He said Pelosi would need to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other lawmakers there were consequences for their actions.
Police said that, after breaking into the Pelosi family's home, DePape yelled, "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?" — a question that eerily echoed a line that rang out as a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The attack has brought renewed attention to the rise in recent years of politically motivated violence. Amid a rise in violent political speech, the Department of Homeland Security has warned of the growing threat posed by "violent domestic extremists" emboldened by the January 6 attack.
In the five years since the 2016 election of former President Donald Trump, the number of recorded threats against members of Congress increased more than tenfold, the New York Times reported. The Capitol police logged more than 9,625 threats in 2021.