Trey Gowdy: Political violence has become a 'recurring theme' in American politics

"Sunday Night in America" host Trey Gowdy condemned the attack against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi and called for greater efforts to defend political opponents in the aftermath.

On Friday, San Francisco police reported that Pelosi’s husband was attacked by 42-year-old David DePape in the couple’s California home. DePape allegedly asked "Where is Nancy?" and struck her husband with a hammer. 

Gowdy condemned the attack but remarked how it represented a more violent shift in recent Republican and Democratic politics.

"It’s become a recurring theme in American politics. Political violence and threats to violence are increasing," he said. "Elected officials have been shot at community meetings and on charity baseball fields. The children and spouses of federal judges have been shot in their homes, Supreme Court justices have been targeted for assassination, mobs have chanted ‘hang the vice president’ people are accosted in restaurants and lobbies of their workplace, and now an attack on a family member in his home." 

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"For the overwhelming majority of us, the only weapons we would ever use in political discourse are the power of persuasion and right to vote. But there is that small group, so detached to reason or reality, so untethered to decency or morality that they would believe themselves justified to use violence," Gowdy said. 

In the aftermath, several politicians on both sides of the aisle condemned the attack and calls for political violence. However, some Democratic figures have accused Republican rhetoric of inspiring the act.

By contrast, Gowdy called for further actions to defend political opponents.

"And while we know crazy people are listening, perhaps we should say fewer crazy things. And we should have a plan, a plan beyond simply investigating and prosecuting in the aftermath. We should do more than simply react after something violent and horrific happens. It takes no political courage to defend friends. The question is whether we have the political courage to defend, physically defend those with whom we disagree," Gowdy said.

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He also used John Adams, the second President of the United States, as an example for defending political opponents even at the risk of political contempt.

"Before we were even a country, a lawyer in Massachusetts agreed to defend British soldiers charged with the murder of Americans. His friends told him not to do it, that it was politically unwise, it would hurt his career, hurt his law practice, hurt his standing in the community. But this lawyer did it anyway. He did it because, as he told the jury, he would rather endure the contempt of all mankind than see an innocent person convicted or an innocent life taken," Gowdy said.

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He concluded, "Maybe that is what we want our leaders to do, the right thing no matter what. Adams said he would rather endure the contempt of all mankind than see an innocent life taken. What will we do 250 years later, to keep our perceived political opponents from being attacked or shot or bludgeoned with a hammer?"