Nancy Pelosi says retirement plans ‘affected’ by attack on husband

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed Monday that the hammer attack against her husband Paul has had an effect on her political future. 

Pelosi shared the development in her first sitdown interview since the home invasion at her California home that left her husband with a fractured skull.

“I have to say my decision will be affected about what happened the last week or two,” Pelosi told CNN host Anderson Cooper after he asked if the incident will impact her decision on whether to retire after the midterm elections if Democrats lose control of the House. 

When pressed by Cooper if her decision will be specifically “impacted by the attack,” Pelosi answered, “Yes.”

The 82-year-old House Speaker has faced increased speculation on what her next political move will be if Democrats lose the lower chamber after the Nov. 8 midterm elections, as is widely expected.

In 2018, Pelosi vowed to limit her term as House speaker to four years, but she hasn’t announced any formal decision on her future in leadership or politics. 

Pelosi is expected to win her reelection race in California’s 11th Congressional District against Republican John Dennis Tuesday night by a wide margin. 

The House speaker also described to Cooper on Monday the moment she learned that her husband of 59 years had been assaulted.  

“I was sleeping in Washington, DC, I had just gotten in the night before from San Francisco, and I hear the doorbell ring and think, it’s five something, I look up I see it’s five, it must be the wrong apartment. No. It rings again and then bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the door,” she told Cooper.

“So I run to the door and I was very scared, I see the Capitol Police, and they said we have to come in to talk to you,” she added. “I never thought it would be Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn’t be out and about, shall we say.”

“And so they came in,” Pelosi said of the Capitol Police officers at her door. “At that time we didn’t even know where he was or what his condition was, we just knew there was an assault on him in our home.”

The alleged attacker, David DePape, 42, has been charged with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping and assault following the Oct. 28 break-in at the Pelosi’s Pacific Heights neighborhood home.