Former US President Donald Trump weighed in on the hammer attack targeting Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at their San Francisco residence early Friday morning, calling the attack a "terrible thing."
Trump’s comments came In a Sunday interview with the conservative Spanish-language network, Americano Media, and were quoted by Fox News.
"With Paul Pelosi, that’s a terrible thing, and with all of them, that’s a terrible thing," Trump said, blaming a general rise in crime.
"Look at what happened to San Francisco generally. Look at what’s happening in Chicago. It was far worse than Afghanistan," he added.
The former President said police officers must be given back their dignity and respect in order to solve the problem.
"But today if a police officer says something that’s slightly out of line it’s like the end of his life, the end of his pension, the end of his family," Trump said. "We can’t do that. We have to give the police back their authority and their power and their respect. Because this country is out of control."
Federal authorities on Monday charged California man David DePape with attempting to kidnap the US House Speaker when he broke into her home and attacked her husband Paul.
The Justice Department said DePape had tape, rope, zip ties and other materials with him indicating he had intended to tie up Pelosi when he broke into her home on Friday, but found only her husband, whom he attacked with a hammer.
In a court affidavit, the FBI said DePape told them after his arrest he viewed Nancy Pelosi as responsible for lies told by her Democratic Party.
The affidavit said DePape intended to hold Pelosi, who is second in line to the US presidency after the vice president, hostage and talk to her.
"If Nancy were to tell DePape the 'truth,' he would let her go, and if she 'lied,' he was going to break 'her kneecaps,'" the affidavit said.
DePape, 42, who lived in a garage in nearby Richmond, California broke into the house early Friday when only Paul Pelosi was there.
Pelosi called 911 when he encountered the threatening man and left the line open so a dispatcher could hear his conversation with DePape, speaking surreptitiously but making it clear that he needed help, according to a law enforcement source.
San Francisco police entered the home around 2:27 a.m. local time to find Pelosi struggling over a hammer with a man, who has since been identified as DePape, according to the city’s police chief.
Officers saw DePape “violently assault” Pelosi with the hammer before they tackled him to the ground and arrested him.
Pelosi was taken to a hospital after the attack and underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands and is expected to make a full recovery.
The US House Speaker on Saturday night spoke out about the attack on her husband, writing in a letter to all members of Congress that her family is "heartbroken".
"Yesterday morning, a violent man broke into our family home, demanded to confront me and brutally attacked my husband Paul. Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop. We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving," Nancy Pelosi said in the "Dear Colleague" letter to all members of Congress.