Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul recovering after hammer attack surgery

Paul Pelosi, the hubby of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is recovering from country aft being attacked astatine location by a hammer-wielding intruder.

Mr Pelosi, 82, was near with a fractured skull and superior injuries to his close limb and hands.

The fishy is said to person demanded to spot Mrs Pelosi aft breaking successful to the San Francisco home.

A 42-year-old antheral has been arrested connected charges including attempted homicide.

Mrs Pelosi - who was connected the different broadside of the state successful Washington DC astatine the clip of the battle - flew backmost to spot her hubby successful hospital.

A spokesperson for the elder Democrat said Mr Pelosi was attacked successful the aboriginal hours of Friday greeting "by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his beingness portion demanding to spot the Speaker".

He was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for an cognition and doctors expect a afloat recovery, said Mrs Pelosi's spokesman, Drew Hammill.

In a quality conference, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said officers had responded to a telephone astatine astir 02:27 section clip (09:27 GMT) connected Friday.

They recovered Mr Pelosi and the fishy - named by constabulary arsenic David DePape - struggling implicit a hammer, but it was wrestled from Mr Pelosi's power by the intruder, who violently assaulted him with it.

The fishy was tackled and disarmed by officers. He had attempted to necktie up Mr Pelosi "until Nancy got home", instrumentality enforcement sources told CBS News. He reportedly shouted "where's Nancy?" during the incident.

He is besides facing charges of battle with a deadly weapon, burglary and respective different felonies, Mr Scott said.

Footage shows a smashed solid doorway astatine the Pelosi location successful the upmarket neighbourhood of Pacific Heights.

A blog, website and societal media accounts nether the sanction of the fishy seen by the BBC are filled with anti-Semitic memes, Holocaust denial, references to far-right websites and conspiracy theories specified arsenic QAnon.

He besides posted debunked allegations of predetermination fraud. His caller posts were rambling and touched connected a big of far-right and extremist talking points.

Older messages by the fishy beforehand hemp jewellery and quartz crystals. He was besides a nudist activistic who had listed himself arsenic a subordinate of the Green Party, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mrs Pelosi is 1 of the astir almighty politicians successful the country. She was re-elected to a 4th word arsenic Speaker of the House of Representatives successful 2021, making her 2nd successful enactment to the presidency aft Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The Baltimore autochthonal has represented the San Francisco country successful Congress since 1987, and typically splits her clip betwixt California and Washington DC.

She is presently fundraising and campaigning with Democrats astir the state up of the midterm elections connected 8 November.

Her husband, the multimillionaire laminitis of a task superior firm, lives chiefly successful San Francisco, wherever helium was calved and raised.

The mates person been joined since 1963 and person 5 children. Their combined nett worth, chiefly from Mr Pelosi's investments, has made her 1 of the richest members of Congress.

The FBI and the US Capitol Police, which has a tract bureau successful California, are helping San Francisco constabulary with the investigation.

The US Capitol Police, which is tasked with protecting legislature leaders, is said to beryllium considering further protections for families pursuing the attack.

Members of Congress person been connected high-alert implicit information threats since the riot astatine the US Capitol successful January 2021. Mrs Pelosi's bureau successful the gathering was ransacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump during the attack.

Last year, her San Francisco location was vandalised with graffiti saying "cancel rent" and "we privation everything". Protesters near a pig's caput connected her driveway.

The location of Senate elder Republican person Mitch McConnell has besides been targeted by vandalism successful caller times.

Mr McConnell said connected Friday that helium was "horrified and disgusted" by the onslaught connected Mr Pelosi.

In a statement, the White House said President Joe Biden was "praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's full family".

Chuck Schumer, the apical Democrat successful the Senate, said: "What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act. I privation him a speedy recovery."