Nancy Pelosi Expresses Sympathy for Trump After Assassination Attempt ‘Political Violence Has No Place in Our Society’
J. Scott Applewhite / AP file
In the wake of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Donald Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressed her sympathy and relief, surprising many political observers.
Taking to social media, Pelosi wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “As one whose family has been the victim of political violence, I know firsthand that political violence of any kind has no place in our society. I thank God that former President Trump is safe.” She added, “As we learn more details about this horrifying incident, let us pray that all those in attendance at the former President’s rally today are unharmed.”
Pelosi’s response resonates with her personal experience of political violence. In October 2022, her husband, Paul Pelosi, then 82 years old, was brutally attacked by David DePape, an intruder wielding a hammer at their San Francisco home. DePape was sentenced to 30 years in prison in May.
Pelosi’s measured response drew praise from various quarters. Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin commended her, writing, “This. Nothing else is appropriate at this moment.” Former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan remarked, “And maybe, just maybe, Trump might realize the horrific act of violence that almost cost your husband his life isn’t so funny after all…”
Andrew Weissmann, former FBI counsel, noted the contrast between Pelosi’s reaction and the typical rhetoric from the Trump-MAGA camp: “Class act response vs. the Trump-MAGA response when her husband was attacked viciously with a hammer to his head…….Everyone should be deploring violence and not creating a permission structure for it to occur.”
The broader implications of Pelosi’s response were also highlighted by Semafor Washington Bureau Chief Benny Carlin, who pointed out the prevalence of political violence: “As reactions come in, shocking to recall how many of them are leaders who have been personally touched by violence. Former Speaker below, current Majority Leader Steve Scalise, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, whose husband is also a senator.”
Mississippi Free Press News Editor Ashton Pittman contrasted Pelosi’s dignified response with Trump’s reaction to the attack on Paul Pelosi: “A reminder of how Trump responded when a supporter broke into Nancy Pelosi’s home and brutally attacked her husband with a hammer,” Pittman wrote, sharing a screenshot from a September 2023 Politico report.
Politico reported Trump’s remarks at a California Republican state party convention: “We’ll stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi, who ruined San Francisco — how’s her husband doing, anybody know?” Trump said to a raucous crowd. “And she’s against building a wall at our border, even though she has a wall around her house — which obviously didn’t do a very good job,” he added.
Pelosi’s response to the attempt on Trump’s life underscores a call for unity and the rejection of political violence, highlighting the stark contrast in reactions from different political leaders.
