Threats Against Congress Members Nearly Tripled Since 2017: U.S. Capitol Police

Threats against members of Congress have more than doubled since 2017, according to U.S. Capitol Police.

Friday's brutal home invasion attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband is the latest violence perpetrated against congressional members. The suspect allegedly demanded to know the Democratic leader's whereabouts, San Francisco authorities said.

On Monday, David DePape, 42, was charged with one count of “attempted kidnapping of a US official on account of the performance of official duties,” according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.

Paul Pelosi's alleged attacker was also federally charged with assault, the office said.

According to Capitol police figures, there were 3,939 threats made against members of Congress in 2017.

By 2021, that number had nearly tripled to 9,625. During that span, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became one of the most targeted members of Congress, The New York Times reported.

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, was also threatened after she voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a senator or House member were killed,” she told The Times. “What started with abusive phone calls is now translating into active threats of violence and real violence.”

The Jan. 6 riots were examples of that. Protesters who invaded the Capitol were screaming for Pelosi and threatening her. The attacks also injured several Capitol police officers and four later killed themselves.

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