In a dramatic turn of events, David DePape, the man accused of the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, tearfully took the stand in his federal trial and shared the details of a bizarre plot he hatched to combat corruption in the United States. The 43-year-old DePape, who has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted kidnap of a federal official, revealed that his transformation from left-wing beliefs to right-wing conspiracy theories began while he was living in a garage without basic amenities, spending hours playing video games. It was during this time that he stumbled upon the anti-feminist campaign known as Gamergate, which led him down a rabbit hole of right-wing podcasters and political YouTube videos.

"At that time I was biased against Trump," DePape testified, "but there's, like, truth there. So if there's truth out there that I don't know, I want to know it." He claimed that he formulated a "grand plan" to expose corruption by luring high-profile figures to the Pelosi home, including Gayle Rubin, an academic at the University of Michigan, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Tom Hanks, Congressman Adam Schiff, former Vice-President Mike Pence, former Attorney General Bill Barr, Senator Bernie Sanders, and liberal mega-donor George Soros. Ultimately, DePape stated that his ultimate goal was to confront President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and after extracting confessions of corruption from his targets, he planned to ask the president to pardon everyone he considered a “criminal” in order to move the country forward.

DePape recounted the events of October 28, 2022, when he went to the Pelosi home in the early hours of the morning with the intention of speaking to Nancy Pelosi about his beliefs regarding Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election. He planned to wear an inflatable unicorn costume and livestream his interrogation of her online. However, his plan was disrupted when he was arrested with zip ties and duct tape in his possession. When questioned about why he hit Paul Pelosi, DePape claimed that his plan had been ruined and that he reacted impulsively, stating, "He was never my target and I'm sorry that he got hurt."

During the trial, Paul Pelosi also took the stand and described the attack in detail. He testified that he was awakened by DePape bursting into the bedroom, demanding to know Nancy Pelosi's whereabouts. Paul Pelosi remained calm and managed to call 911 while engaging in conversation with DePape. However, when law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, a struggle ensued, and DePape struck Paul Pelosi on the head with a hammer. He claimed that he believed Paul Pelosi was dead until he heard the charges against him.

Throughout the trial, the defense argued that DePape's actions were driven by his belief in conspiracy theories rather than Nancy Pelosi's status as Speaker of the House. They maintained that he was motivated by a desire to combat government corruption and the abuse of children by politicians and actors. The prosecution, on the other hand, presented evidence to show that DePape had been planning the attack for months, researching his targets online and collecting their personal information.

As the trial nears its conclusion, with closing arguments expected on Wednesday, the jury must determine whether DePape's actions were indeed motivated by Nancy Pelosi's elected position as a federal official. If convicted, he faces life in prison.