“This assault is terrifying, and the direct results of poisonous right-wing rhetoric and incitement in opposition to Speaker Pelosi and so many different progressive leaders,” mentioned state Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat who had encountered DePape earlier than the assault. “Phrases have penalties, and with out query, the GOP’s hate and extremism has bred political violence.”
Police mentioned DePape wrestled a hammer from Pelosi inside their residence within the Pacific Heights neighborhood and struck him a number of occasions. The 82-year-old husband of the speaker was hospitalized however anticipated to recuperate.
Till now, the suspect was recognized to be a part of a bunch of pro-nudist activists based mostly throughout the Bay in Berkeley.
A photograph revealed by the San Francisco Chronicle, and launched after his arrest, reveals DePape presiding, totally clothed, over the marriage of in any other case nude activists exterior Metropolis Corridor in 2013.
The paper mentioned he was referred to as a “father determine” in a Berkeley group residence that included a well-known nudist activist referred to as Gypsy Taub. On the time of the marriage he was recognized as a hemp jewellery maker. Wiener advised the Chronicle that DePape was amongst plenty of nude activists who protested round San Francisco in 2011 and 2012.
In newer years, DePape has embraced the false claims that the November 2020 election was stolen, reposting on Fb — in an account since faraway from the platform — bogus claims by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and others related to the marketing campaign.
He reposted a video on YouTube denouncing the investigation into the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol as a “farce,” in line with CNN.
A weblog that includes content material authored by DePape affords a patchwork embrace of bigoted and fringe subjects, together with posts that characteristic anti-Semitic language, allege the existence of a “communist” agenda in colleges and repeat lots of the tropes of the net fever dream referred to as QAnon, which alleges with out proof that main figures interact in pedophilia.
An archived web page from one other, now-defunct web site additionally attributed to DePape suggests fury towards the federal government, the mainstream media and company powers, decrying “the elites/ruling class” and “the individuals who rule you” whereas warning “Tech giants and personal business” have develop into “so highly effective they might single handedly silence the folks.”
It was sufficient for a lot of main Democrats to conclude that poisonous political rhetoric was behind the assault, even with out authorities disclosing a motive. “Whereas the motive continues to be unknown we all know the place this type of violence is sanctioned and modeled,” Rep. Jackie Speier tweeted.