Topline
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) is physically fine after she was assaulted Thursday morning in the elevator of her Washington D.C. apartment building, her chief of staff said in a statement.
Angie Craig, congresswoman from Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, is interviewed at the DNC on … [+]
Key Facts
Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising but is physically fine, according to a statement from her chief of staff Nick Coe.
Craig first spotted the suspect in the lobby of her building, “Acting erratic as if he was under the influence of an unknown substance,” according to a Metropolitan Police Department report obtained by NBC News.
The suspect entered the elevator with Craig and began doing pushups before punching her in the chin and grabbing her neck, at which point Craig threw her cup of hot coffee at him, the police report said.
The assailant fled the scene after the attack, according to Coe’s statement.
Coe added there was no evidence the incident was politically motivated.
Craig has served in congress since 2019 and is the first openly LGBTQ member of congress from Minnesota.
Key Background
Capitol Police reported threats made against Congress had increased significantly after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, increasing 107% in 2021 from 2020. In the wake of Jan. 6, some members were reportedly given additional security due to those increased threats. Actual attacks on Congress members and their families continue to be rare. In 2017, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) was critically wounded during a mass shooting at a charity baseball game practice. In July, former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) was attacked on stage during a campaign event in Rochester, New York. Zeldin was not injured. And in October, Paul Pelosi, the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif), was beaten in his San Francisco home. Paul Pelosi was hospitalized for his injuries and underwent skull and arm surgery, before his release from the hospital days later. Police said the assailant was looking for Nancy Pelosi, who was in Washington at the time, and shouted “Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?” after he broke into the Pelosi residence.
Further Reading
Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig Assaulted At Washington Apartment (Star Tribune)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/02/09/rep-angie-craig-reports-elevator-assault/