Accused Pelosi attacker David DePape spread QAnon, other far-right, bigoted conspiracies before going to prison
Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas were among those who offered support and prayers to DePape and his family at his sentencing Thursday. More
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
The attorney general calls the attack “an act of political violence,” which he says had nothing to do with a “political statement.”
DePape’s attorney, Dan Bruguier, called the attack “an act of political violence.”
The attack, which DePape said he will never forget, started after he asked the Alexandria resident for a picture and then walked down the street while wearing a black mask with a white skull and crossbones on his chest.
“This is what I want to do,” DePape said. “This is what I want to do to the president and his administration. This is what I’m going to do.”
He opened a door and punched DePape in the face with two closed fists, according to the Alexandria Police Department’s report. DePape’s phone rang and he took the call.
“I can’t live my life in fear of this man, and I can’t die in fear of this man,” DePape said.
The attack followed DePape’s call for a photo with President Donald Trump during a visit to Texas in February. DePape took the photo to show Trump. DePape, who had told CNN they are friends, wore the white mask with the skull and crossbones at the time.
President Trump, who visited DePape in the hospital afterward, told reporters, “Thank you very much. We’ll see what happens.” He later posted a video of himself with DePape, saying “A friend like that should not have gone through what he did.”
DePape, 32, said he had been “firing back” at the president for “about 15 years,” and planned to keep fighting.
“It’s all about the people. It’s about the people. But this is about the people, and