Nancy Pelosi makes first on-camera comments about hammer attack on husband: ‘He will be well’

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Nancy Pelosi has made her first public on-camera comments about the brutal hammer attack on her husband a day after he was released from the hospital.

The House Speaker said in a video that Paul Pelosi’s recovery from a fractured skull and other injuries was “going to be a long haul, but he will be well.”

“Paul came home yesterday. That enables me to be at home with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for kind words, your prayers and your good wishes for Paul,” she said on the YouTube video.

“It’s going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And, it’s just so tragic how it happened, but nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. He’s surrounded by family, so that’s a wonderful thing.”

The video was released just hours after a Friday hearing for suspect David DePape, who faces a string of state and federal charges in the case.

Mr Pelosi needed surgery for a skull fracture after he was attacked by the suspect at the couple’s San Francisco home in the Pacific Heights area on 28 October.

The suspect is being held without bail on state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse and his lawyers have entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

“He forced his way into the Pelosi home intending to take the person third in line to the presidency of the United States hostage and to seriously harm her,” prosecutors stated in a court filing.

“Thwarted by Speaker Pelosi’s absence, Defendant continued on his quest and would not be stopped, culminating in the near fatal attack on Mr Pelosi.”