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Republicans have responded to the recent attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with a mix of messages, some of which have prompted sharp criticism from Democrats.
Many in the GOP, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and former Vice President Mike Pence, have vocally condemned the attack.
Former President Trump has opted, in contrast, to remain silent, while responses from several other Republicans have attracted criticism from Democrats for apparently using the situation to advance a political message.
Paul Pelosi was attacked by an intruder in the Pelosis’ San Francisco home early Friday morning. Before assaulting Pelosi with a hammer, the intruder reportedly shouted, “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?”
A spokesperson for the Speaker said Friday that her 82-year-old husband underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and injuries to his right arm and hands and is expected to make a full recovery from the attack.
McConnell was quick to respond after news broke of the attack, saying he was “horrified and disgusted.”
Pence also came out strongly against the assault, calling it an “outrage.” Other party leaders, including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (La.), who was shot during an attack at a congressional baseball practice in 2017, have similarly spoken against the violence.
However, Trump has remained silent on the issue, even as he has continued to frequently post on his social media platform Truth Social about everything from the midterm elections to the Mar-a-Lago documents lawsuit to the late singer Jerry Lee Lewis.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) also avoided making any public statements about the attack in the hours after the news broke, though his spokesman told The Hill on Friday that the congressman had reached out to the Speaker to check on her husband and was praying for his recovery.
McCarthy’s lack of a public response led Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to slam him on Twitter on Saturday for doing “nothing.”
Later Saturday, McCarthy addressed the attack in an interview on Breitbart radio, calling it “wrong” and condemning political violence.
