Paul Pelosi Attacker Told Police He Was 'Fighting Against Tyranny'

New details have emerged concerning the recent assault on Paul Pelosi and the motives of the man who attacked him.

Pelosi, a businessman and the longtime husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was attacked in the couple's San Francisco home on Friday by a Berkeley man, 42-year-old David Wayne DePape. DePape broke into the home and attacked the elderly Pelosi with a hammer, fracturing his skull, while reportedly shouting about his intended target being Speaker Pelosi.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday released an official statement, announcing federal charges of assault and attempted kidnapping for DePape in connection with the incident. The department also released the arrest affidavit and complaint in the case, shedding new light on DePape and his intentions.

A portion of the affidavit explained what DePape told San Francisco Police officers in a recorded conversation after being read his Miranda rights. The attacker explained that his intention was to find Speaker Pelosi at the home and take her hostage. He planned to have a conversation with her, claiming that if she told him "the truth" he would let her go. If she "lied," in his eyes, he planned to break her kneecaps. He also indicated that he did not expect her to tell the "truth," further suggesting his hope to commit violence during the incident.

Backing up the claims about kidnapping Speaker Pelosi, the DOJ statement reported that "a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties" were found at the crime scene.

DePape referred to Speaker Pelosi as the "leader of the pack" for the Democratic Party and hoped that wounding her would send a message to other liberal leaders, specifically hoping for her to be brought onto the congressional floor in a wheelchair.

At a certain point during DePape's invasion of the home, Pelosi was able to make a call to 911 while hiding in a bathroom. The attacker later told police that he did not flee at this point because he viewed himself as "fighting against tyranny without the option of surrender," likening himself to the Founding Fathers during the Revolutionary War.

The statement from the DOJ and the details contained in the affidavit dispelled numerous theories spread online by right-wing figures in the wake of the attack, which attempted to paint the incident as Pelosi's fault in various ways and not as the result of right-wing rhetoric. One such theory was briefly spread by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a now-deleted tweet.

Newsweek reached out to the office of Representative Pelosi for comment.