Political opponents of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin want him to apologize for comments he made Friday about the attack on Paul Pelosi during a home invasion.
The Republican governor was speaking at a campaign rally for GOP congressional candidate Yesli Vega when he mentioned Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband. Paul Pelosi has been in a California hospital since Friday with skull fractures and serious injuries to his right arm and hands following a break-in that authorities have yet to establish a motive for. He’s expected to make a full recovery.
“Speaker Pelosi’s husband had a break in last night in their house and he was assaulted. There’s no room for violence anywhere,” Youngkin said at a rally for GOP candidate Yesli Vega at the Stafford County Courthouse on Friday. “But we’re gonna send her back to be with him in California. That’s what we’re gonna go do.”
The comment drew ire from Democrats in the commonwealth, who accused the governor of being callous about the attack.
A father, grandfather, and husband is in brain surgery after an act of heinous political violence and at a political rally for my opponent, our Governor taunts his wife because he disagrees with her politics?
I hope he’ll apologize and show humanity towards the Pelosi family. https://t.co/oUxKRXSF7v
— Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerVA07) October 28, 2022
L. Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate, said that Youngkin needs to “either apologize or resign,” while Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn said the comments were “shameful and beneath a governor.”
Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton called on Youngkin to apologize when she said that “failing to condemn political violence only emboldens these zealots — it’s a failure of leadership from our governor.”
Youngkin has since distanced himself from the remarks following the Friday rally.
A statement from Youngkin’s spokeswoman to WTOP said that, “As the governor clearly said, the assault on Paul Pelosi was wrong and there is no place for violence. He wishes him a full recovery and is keeping the Pelosi family in his prayers.”
In a Friday interview with Newsmax, the governor was more profusely sympathetic about Paul Pelosi’s condition and what the family has been enduring. He sidestepped questions about whether he wanted a “do-over” for his earlier comments.
This story originally reported that the attack on Paul Pelosi was politically motivated. It has been updated to note that police haven’t established a motive yet.
