White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Sunday that the “most haunting” aspect of the recent home invasion and attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband is its similarities to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show,” Jean-Pierre told anchor Jonathan Capehart that the “horrific” attack Friday morning in the couple’s San Francisco home is further evidence that Republicans must do more to condemn political violence.
“It is horrific, and just very sad what we’re seeing,” she said. “And it goes to what we’re seeing currently. We have to condemn political violence. It is something that should not be controversial. It is something that should not be partisan. It is something that all of us need to say that, and it should be done in one voice. But sadly, it has become political, and we need to end this.”
“The thing that is probably the most haunting about when we hear the reports of this assailant, of the attacker that you were speaking of is that he was yelling out the things that we heard during January 6, which is, ‘Where is Nancy?’” she continued. “And you know, again we need to end this type of rhetoric. It needs to stop, and it is incredibly, incredibly dangerous.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Capehart asked Jean-Pierre whether President Biden had reached out to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell or House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in an effort to draft a bipartisan statement condemning political violence, but Jean-Pierre indicated no such statement was in the works.
“You know, you interviewed the president most recently, and he believes in reaching out to the other side and working together,” she responded. “And that is something that you see throughout his career. So that is not anything that’s unusual, right? For him to reach over to the other side. I don’t have anything to speak of about any type of statement, a bipartisan statement. But the president himself has been very clear. He has talked about that. When you interviewed the president, you all talked about the soul of the nation.”
“And what we saw on January 6 still exists. It still exists. But again, this should not be a partisan issue,” she said.
Paul Pelosi Jr. speaks to FBI investigators outside the home of his parents Nancy and Paul Pelosi, Friday October 28, 2022. His father, Paul was the victim of a violent home invasion earlier this morning. (Flightrisk for Fox News Digital)
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said that David DePape, 42, faces charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and other felonies in relation to the attack at the Pelosis’ home.
Paul Pelosi was sent to a local hospital, where he went through surgery to repair a skull fracture in addition to other injuries, according to a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi, who said he is expected to make a full recovery.
(Left) Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi attend the Pre-GRAMMY Gala. (Right) David DePape (Michael Short/ San Francisco Chronicle )
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Police said Nancy Pelosi was believed to be the intended target of the attack, though she was in Washington, D.C. at the time.
DePape’s purported former partner, Oxane Taub, told local media that DePape has “been mentally ill for a long time.”
Fox News’ Lawrence Richard and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.