Fox Host Jokes About Violent Attack on Nancy Pelosi's Husband: "He Needs a Hammer"

Fox News, popular for its controversial statements and polarizing rhetoric, faced criticism after weekend host Rachel Campos-Duffy made a joke about the violent attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The incident occurred during a segment on Jesse Watters Primetime, where Campos-Duffy and guest host Pete Hegseth talked about recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Joe Biden. Campos-Duffy remarked, “So, I thought, America’s frat boys, they could use the Medal of Freedom. Donald J. Trump, he never gives up on America. Elon Musk for absolutely caring about freedom of speech.”

As per Mediaite, Hegseth, while acknowledging Campos-Duff’s list, humorously suggested, “That’s a great list. But it’s probably more likely to go to Paul Pelosi, Susan Rice, and Gavin Newsom. So, I think your list is correct, but a little off-brand for Big Joe.” To which Campos-Duffy responded with the controversial remark, “Well, maybe Paul Pelosi needs the hammer instead of the medal.” “It’s metal. We wish him well. We wish him well,” Hegseth chuckled.

The joke alluded to the October 2022 incident when Paul was attacked by an intruder wielding a hammer at their home in San Francisco. Pelosi sustained serious injuries, including a fractured skull and injuries to his arm and hands, requiring surgery and hospitalization for six days. The attack on Paul was a harrowing experience, as testified by Paul himself during the trial against the assailant, David DePape. Paul recounted, "The door opened, and a very large man came in with a hammer in one hand and some ties in the other, and he said, 'Where’s Nancy?' as I think that woke me up. I’m asleep, and he bursts in the door, and that woke me up. He was standing in the doorway, and I assume he was 3, 4 feet away from me. It was a tremendous sense of shock to see somebody broken into the house," as reported by BBC.

Paul further revealed, "He said, she was the leader of the pack, he had to take her out, he was going to wait for her. He was going to tie me up and wait for her. It was a tremendous shock, looking at him, looking at the hammer and the ties," he added. "I recognized I was in serious danger. I tried to stay as calm as possible." He told the court, "I have not discussed this incident with anybody. And I have encouraged my family not to either. I have tried to put it out of my mind. It wasn't until [the prosecutor's] meeting with you and your associates that I talked about this. I've made the best effort that I possibly can to not relive this."