>>> TONIGHT, THE VIOLENT ASSAULT ON THE HUSBAND OF HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI INSIDE THE COUPLE'S SAN FRANCISCO HOME AN INTRUDER BREAKING IN AND BEATING PAUL PELOSI WITH A HAMMER, HITTING HIM IN FRONT OF POLICE AS THEY ARRIVE SOURCES TELLING NBC NEWS THE MAN WAS SHOUTING, WHERE IS NANCY. THE SPEAKER WAS NOT HOME AT THE TIME HOW POLICE WERE ALERTED TO THE SCENE MR. PELOSI RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY SURGERY FOR INJURIES TO HIS SKULL, ARM AND HAND HIS CONDITION TONIGHT. THE SUSPECT IN CUSTODY. THE GROWING QUESTIONS. WHAT WAS HIS MOTIVE? IT COMES AS THREATS AGAINST LAWMAKERS RISE JUST 11 DAYS BEFORE THE MIDTERMS >>> ELON MUSK CLOSING HIS $44 BILLION DEAL TO BUY TWITTER IMMEDIATELY FIRING TOP EXECUTIVES THE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE PLATFORM THE WORLD'S RICHEST MAN IS EYEING WILL HE REINSTATE DONALD TRUMP'S ACCOUNT? >>> THE NEW WARNING FROM THE CDC FLU SEASON OFF TO ITS WORST START IN 13 YEARS. THE FIRST REPORTED ♪ >> Announcer: THIS IS "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS" WITH LESTER HOLT. >>> GOOD EVENING LATE TONIGHT, HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI RUSHING FROM WASHINGTON BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO TO BE BY THE SIDE OF HER HUSBAND WHO WAS VICIOUSLY ATTACKED BY AN INTRUDER IN THE COUPLE'S HOME THERE OVERNIGHT. 82-YEAR-OLD PAUL PELOSI UNDERWENT SURGERY AFTER BEING STRUCK WITH A HAMMER, SUFFERING A SKULL FRACTURE HIS ALLEGED ASSAILANT A 42-YEAR-OLD MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE THE INTRUDER ALLEGEDLY DEMANDING TO SEE THE SPEAKER. SPEAKER PELOSI WAS NOT HOME AT THE TIME OF THE ATTACK THOUGH POLICE SAY A MOTIVE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED, THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ASSAULT ARE ONLY DEEPENING THE CHILL FELT BY MANY IN CONGRESS AND WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY IS A MORE THREATENING POLITICAL CLIMATE. MI THE LATEST FROM SAN FRANCISCO. >> Reporter: WHEN THE HAMMER WIELDING INTRUDER BROKE INTO THE HOME OWNED BY NANCY AND PAUL PELOSI, A SOURCE BRIEFED ON THE INVESTIGATION SAYS HE SHOUTED, WHERE IS NANCY, WHERE IS NANCY. WITH THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., HER HUSBAND PAUL HOME ALONE WAS SEVERELY BEATEN A PELOSI FAMILY MEMBER TELLS NBC NEWS THE SUSPECT TRIED TO TIE PAUL PELOSI UP HE WAS HIT IN THE HEAD SEVERAL TIMES WITH A HAMMER IT WAS PAUL PELOSI WHO CALLED 911 THE INTRUDER TELLING POLICE AS THEY ARRIVED, WE ARE WAITING FOR NANCY. >> OUR OFFICERS OBSERVED MR. PELOSI AND THE SUSPECT BOTH HOLDING A HAMMER THE SUSPECT PULLED THE HAMMER AWAY FROM MR. PELOSI AND VIOLENTLY ASSAULTED HIM WITH IT. >> Reporter: THE 82-YEAR-OLD IS MARRIED TO THE SPEAKER AND UNDERWENT EMERGENCY SURGERY AFTER THE ATTACK. >> OUR OFFICERS TACKLED THE SUSPECT, DISARMED HIM, TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY >> Reporter: BREAKING INTO THE COUPLE'S HOME, THEIR GLASS DOOR SHATTERED, POLICE SAY DAVID DePAPE HAS BEEN BOOKED ON SEVERAL FELONIES, INCLUDING ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE PAUL PELOSI ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE IS SUFFERING FROM BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA A SPOKESPERSON SAYS MR. PELOSI UNDERWENT SUCCESSFUL SURGERY TO REPAIR A SKULL FRACTURE AND SERIOUS INJURIES TO HIS RIGHT ARM AND HAND HIS DOCTORS EXPECT A FULL RECOVERY. >> THIS IS DESPICABLE. THERE'S NO PLACE IN AMERICA -- THERE'S TOO MUCH VIOLENCE, POLITICAL VIOLENCE >> Reporter: WITH THE FBI, SFPD AND CAPITOL POLICE INVESTIGATING, NANCY PELOSI HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF CREDIBLE THREATS BEFORE THE SPEAKER HAS A PROTECTIVE SECURITY DETAIL HER HUSBAND DOES NOT WHEN SPEAKER PELOSI IS HOME HERE IN SAN FRANCISCO, RESIDENTS SAY THE AREA IS CRAWLING WITH SECURITY THIS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR NEIGHBORHOOD SHAKEN BY THE BLOODY ATTACK >> I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY IT'S JUST SO SAD AND FRUSTRATING. >> Reporter: DAYS BEFORE THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS, THE PRESIDENT AND LAWMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL AISLE EXPRESSING OUTRAGE AND EXTENDING THEIR SUPPORT TO THE PELOSIS. TONIGHT, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, THE INTENDED TARGET, RUSHING TO BE NEAR HER HUSBAND
