Paul Pelosi undergoes successful skull surgery

House speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi was hospitalised with a skull fracture on Friday after he was attacked at the couple’s California home with a hammer by an assailant. The man was reportedly shouting “Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?”

The 82-year-old underwent “successful surgery” for the fracture and other “serious injuries”, Nancy Pelosi’s longtime spokesperson, Drew Hammill, said.

Hamill further informed that he is expected to make a "full recovery”. 

“Earlier this morning, Paul Pelosi was attacked at home by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the speaker,” Hammill said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden called the attack "despicable" and said that everyone needs to stand up against political violence. However, the police hasn't yet said if the attack was political in nature.

"Enough is enough is enough. Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are," Biden said in a speech in Philadelphia.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott praised the 911 dispatcher for sending police officers to the Pelosi home despite Paul Pelosi's call not being exactly clear. 

“When you have an experienced dispatcher with good instincts, they learn how to read between the lines,” Scott told reporters.

Paul Pelosi called 911 while confronting the intruder, but talked in code and left the line open. He also managed to not let the intruder know that the line was open. The operator felt that something was wrong and immediately sent the officers.

“She knew something more was going on, just in her heart and her intuition, just with her experience,” Scott said. 

“And that calls for a higher priority than this type of call normally receives. This was a well-being check. And she just knew there was more to it. So she alerted our officers, she went that extra step … and that led to a quicker response.”

The suspect has been identified as David DePape, 42, and broke in through a back door, the police said. Charges will be brought against him at the San Francisco county jail, including attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and other felonies.