House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in her first interview since her husband was assaulted in their San Francisco home that the attack has affected whether she will remain in a leadership role after Tuesday’s elections.
It’s believed that the 82-year-old California Democrat could end her two-decades-long reign as House Democratic leader if the party loses the majority, but she declined to reveal what the future holds.
“I have to say my decision will be affected [by] what happened in the last week or two,” she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in a wide-ranging interview that aired Monday evening.
Mrs. Pelosi, who at times held back tears as she talked about first learning of the attack last month, laid blame on Republicans’ rhetoric for fueling the incident.
Authorities have said the alleged assailant, 42-year-old David DePape, was targeting Mrs. Pelosi, who was in Washington, D.C., at the time.
“There has to be some message to the Republicans to stop, to stop the disinformation,” she said.
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“I’m sad because of my husband, but I’m also sad for our country,” Mrs. Pelosi said. “I just want people to vote, and we will respect the outcome of the election, and I would hope that the other side would do that as well.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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