Man Who Attacked Nancy Pelosi's Husband Says Anti-Feminist Gaming YouTubers Radicalized Him

David DePape, who assaulted former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul, has stated that anti-feminist gaming content on YouTube led him to radicalization.

A report from KQED quotes DePape's testimony on the third day of the federal trial against him, in which he described the process of his radicalization. DePape claimed that he once politically opposed Trump, until he began consuming right-wing conspiracy media. DePape was an avid gamer who encountered videos about the misogynistic harassment campaign Gamergate while looking up walkthroughs and tips.

DePape said, "I’d look up a [strategy to defeat a video game] boss, and it’d be a total different person, and these people would talk about how toxic Anita Sarkeesian is, over and over and over. I wanted to find out what was going on here. I wanted to get both sides of the story."

This led to him consuming more and more right-wing internet content. DePape would listen to YouTubers and podcasters like James Lindsay, Jimmy Dore, and Glenn Beck for at least six hours a day, and even longer on weekends. While listening, he would play video games on mute in the Richmond garage where he lived without basic amenities like a bed and shower.

On October 22, 2022, DePape broke into the Pelosis' home with the intention of interrogating Nancy about a conspiracy called Russiagate, breaking her kneecaps, and wheeling her into Congress to expose the "lies" of the "ruling class." In his bag, along with the rope and zip-ties to restrain Pelosi, was a Nintendo Switch.

Now DePape is accused of attempting to kidnap a federal officer and assaulting a family member of a federal official. For these charges, he faces life in person. His attorneys claim that DePape was not targeting Pelosi because of her official duties, so the charges don't fit the crime. He pled not guilty and apologized for harming Paul Pelosi, claiming he was "never my target."

November 16, 11:37 AM PT update: DePape has been convicted and is now awaiting a sentence.