With November's U.S. midterm elections approaching, the federal government is warning about threats of domestic violent extremists, or DVE.

Attack on Paul Pelosi

Paul Pelosi, the husband of the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked and beaten with a hammer by a man who broke into the couple's home on Friday in San Francisco.

The intruder confronted Paul by shouting, "Where is Nancy?" according to a law enforcement source while the House speaker was in Washington at that time.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday said the attack appeared to have been "intended for Nancy."

The suspect David Depape was arrested at the scene and faced charges of attempted murder and other felonies. The police have not provided a motive for the attack, but San Francisco Police chief William Scott told a Friday night news briefing that this was not a random act.

Paul has undergone successful skull fracture surgery and is expected to fully recover, according to Pelosi's spokesperson Drew Hammill.

Rise of domestic violence

The attack on Paul Pelosi has triggered uneasiness over the country's political violence during its election season.

The warning, which is a bulletin jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, announced that "heightened tensions surrounding the 2022 midterm elections circle will probably cause DVE to target political candidates, party offices, judges, election events, or poll workers because of their actual or perceived political affiliations."

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said the department has received many reports from election officials expressing concerns over their physical security, according to CNN.

Election offices across the country have taken preventive measures, ranging from installing bulletproof glass to offering active-shooter training.

On Friday, a man from Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to making multiple death threats against a congressman, reported to be Democrat Eric Swalwell of California. 

In recent years, investigations involving the domestic violent extremism nexus in the U.S. have been on the rise. According to the bulletin, the FBI conducted 1,400 DVE cases in 2020 and the number in 2021 was 2,700, which was almost double.

"Domestic violent extremists represent one of the most persistent threats to the United States today," the bulletin said.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: Police tape in front of the home of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco, California, U.S., October 28, 2022. /CFP)