WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – With critical battles for the midterm elections, rhetoric has been building for months. And now, with only eight days until Election Day, a brutal attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leading to calls for a change in tone.
After the attack on the family of a top Democratic Party leader, politicians from both sides of the aisle are taking to the airwaves to condemn the violence.
Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott said, “Well, we’ve got to figure out how to bring our country back together where we have a civil conversation and we have no violence. I mean, what happened to Paul Pelosi is despicable, it’s unacceptable.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said, “And I think it is really important that people realize that it is not just this moment of this horrific attack, but that we have seen violence perpetrated throughout our political system.”
The suspect in the attack 42-year-old David DePape, due in court Monday, is set to face charges that include attempted murder.
Police say he broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacked her husband, Paul.
New details in the investigation revealing zip-ties were found in the Pelosi home as officials interview the suspect and review his online activity.
“This guy is sort of the picture of radicalization on the internet,” said NBC News Tech Reporter Benjamin Collins. “15 years ago, in 2007, he was posting pretty standard anti-war, left-wing viewpoints. Then there’s a 15-year gap on his blog. And in 2022, he’s posting Q Anon and Pizza Gates.”
As heated midterm battles continue across the country, there’s a renewed focus on political violence.
U.S. Capitol Police say threats against members of congress more than doubled in the last five years.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said, “We have to do something about this amplification of this election-denying hate speech that we see on the internet.”
“It’s disgusting,” said Florida Senator Rick Scott said. “This this… this violence is horrible.”
As Congress considers new measures to protect elected officials, Mr. Pelosi remains in the hospital. In a letter to colleagues over the weekend, the Speaker said the family was “heartbroken and traumatized” but that Mr. Pelosi’s condition “continues to improve.”
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