Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Republicans running on anti-crime platforms who have failed to condemn last week’s attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
“This midterm election, we have seen a lot of ads by Republicans running for everything touting crime. ‘Crime is the issue,’” Clinton told MSNBC’s Joy Reid. “But when an 82-year-old man is attacked by an intruder in his own home, they don’t seem to be too bothered by that because that person is married to the speaker of the House, who’s of a different political party.”
Her comments come after a man broke into the Pelosis’ home in San Francisco last Friday seeking to kidnap the Democratic leader and “break her kneecaps.” The speaker was not at home at the time, but her husband, Paul, called 911 before he was attacked with a hammer. He remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery.
The suspect in the attack, David DePape, has been charged with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official.
Clinton said Tuesday that she was troubled by the “level of just plain crazy, violent, hate rhetoric coming out of Republicans.” Some GOP lawmakers and candidates have turned to the attack as a punchline during campaign events, while others, including former President Donald Trump, have spread unfounded conspiracy theories about the assailant.
“I want voters to stop and ask themselves: Would we trust somebody who is stirring up these violent feelings?” she asked. “… Why would you trust that person to have power over you, your family, your business, your community?”
Clinton went on to say that the attack — which had echoes of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — was “not just an aberration.”
“We’re seeing a whole political party and those who support it, those who enable it, those who run under its banner engaging in behavior that is so dangerous and, I find, frankly, disqualifying for people who are running for office,” she said.
