PAUL Pelosi, the husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is recovering from surgery for a fractured skull after an attack by a hammer-wielding intruder at the couple’s San Francisco home on Friday.

Speaker Pelosi was in Washington DC at the time of the assault but flew back to see her husband in hospital.

According to a statement by the Speaker’s office, the suspect David Depape, who is now in custody, broke into their home and “violently assaulted” Mr Pelosi.

The 82-year-old was left with a fractured skull and injuries to his right arm and hands but is expected to fully recover.

President Joe Biden described the attack as “despicable” and denounced a corrosive political climate for contributing to violence.

“Enough is enough is enough,” he said during a speech in Philadelphia. “Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are.”

The attack has stoked fears about political violence in the run-up to the November 8 midterm elections.

Hours after the attack, the US government distributed a bulletin to law enforcement across the nation warning of a “heightened threat” of domestic violent extremism against candidates and election workers driven by individuals with “ideological grievances”.

However, police investigating the attack on Mr Pelosi – which they have deemed an attempted murder – told reporters a motive had not yet been fully determined.