Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) confronted a reporter who inquired why the former House Speaker allegedly “refused the National Guard” on January 6, 2021, as she was being helped out of the Capitol Building on Wednesday.
While grasping the arm of an aide as she gingerly descended the Capitol steps, Pelosi abruptly turned around, pointing her finger at the reporter from LindellTV and appeared visibly upset by the implication that she might be deemed “liable” by a new Republican-led committee examining the riot.
“Shut up!” Pelosi, 85, retorted.
“I did not refuse the National Guard. The president didn’t dispatch them. Why are you coming here with Republican talking points as though you are a legitimate journalist?” she expressed with frustration.
A 2022 report by House Republicans indicated that Democratic leadership had concerns regarding the “optics” of deploying National Guard troops to the Capitol following the civil unrest during the summer 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
Earlier this year, the Republican-led House Committee on Administration publicized recordings of Pelosi admitting that she should have taken greater measures to secure the US Capitol against the January 6 rioters.
These recordings were made by Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandra, a filmmaker, on the day of the uprising for an HBO documentary.
“We failed completely. We must accept some responsibility for not holding security accountable for what transpired,” Pelosi said at one moment.
“Oh my goodness, I can’t fathom the level of foolishness here. And I take full responsibility,” Pelosi continued.
In another revealing segment of the footage, Pelosi chastises a senior aide for suggesting they call the National Guard in the midst of the turmoil when the Capitol had already been breached.
“You’re gonna ask me in the heat of the moment, when they’ve already broken through the inaugural barriers, ‘Should we contact the Capitol Police?’ I mean, the National Guard. Why weren’t the National Guard on standby from the outset?” Pelosi remarked.
After the aide mentioned that the National Guard believed they had “sufficient resources,” the former House Speaker countered, “It’s not about whether they had… they clearly didn’t know! And I take accountability for not having them prepared for more.”
Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) is heading a new select subcommittee under the House Judiciary Committee, focusing on reexamining the Capitol riot.
“While Democrats seem eager to engage in political theatrics and reinforce the predetermined narrative of Pelosi’s prior committee, Republicans are committed to uncovering the truth objectively, regardless of where it leads,” Loudermilk asserted in a statement.
“The American people deserve a thorough and accurate understanding of the security lapses that occurred on January 6, ensuring such a failure never recurs.”
A select committee established by Pelosi after the riot published an 814-page report on the incident in December 2022, following an 18-month investigation that accused President Trump of orchestrating a criminal “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election results.
