The man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), offered an apology in court Tuesday, claiming the former Speaker’s husband was “never” his target, according to The Associated Press.
In emotional testimony Tuesday, David DePape, 43, described to the court how his political views shifted from leftist to right-wing after reading a comment on a YouTube video about former President Trump.
Prosecutors allege DePape attacked Pelosi in his San Francisco home with a hammer in the early morning of Oct. 28, 2022. He pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official with intent to retaliate against the official over how they perform their duties.
DePape said Tuesday he went to the couple’s home to talk to the former Speaker about alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 election, and that he planned to wear a costume and post his interrogation of her online. He claimed he was looking for the former Speaker and other targets to confess to their corruption.
DePape told police last year he believed there was “evil in Washington” and that he looked to harm Pelosi because she was second in line for the presidency, according to an AP report, citing a San Francisco police investigator.
His other targets allegedly included a women’s and queer studies professor at the University of Michigan, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, actor Tom Hanks and President Biden’s son, Hunter, according to testimony last year.
On Tuesday, DePape told the court he felt bad after hearing testimony from a neurosurgeon who operated on Pelosi after the attack and described Pelosi’s injuries on the stand.
“He was never my target, and I’m sorry that he got hurt,” DePape said.
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Asked why he hit Pelosi, he reportedly said, “I reacted because my plan was basically ruined.”
Paul Pelosi testified about the attack a day earlier, telling the court he had a “tremendous sense of shock” when he realized someone had broken into his home. He said he woke up when a man came into the bedroom asking, “Where’s Nancy?” to which he told the man his wife was in Washington, D.C.
Pelosi claimed the man told him he would tie him up while they waited for her to return and recounted the moment he was able to go to the bathroom and call 911. After police arrived, Pelosi was hit with a hammer and recounted waking up in a pool of his blood.
DePape’s attorneys have argued the charges do not fit, as he was not trying to go after Nancy Pelosi because of her official duties.
If convicted, DePape could face life in prison. He also faces separate charges in state court and has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies.
The Associated Press contributed.
Updated at 3:32 p.m. ET