Outside the Capitol, a tense confrontation unfolded as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sharply rebuked a LindellTV reporter questioning her role in the National Guard's absence on January 6, 2021.
As reported by The Daily Caller, Pelosi faced pointed questions on Wednesday about whether she feared liability from the newly formed January 6 subcommittee for allegedly refusing to deploy the National Guard during the Capitol riot. The reporter pressed her on why she supposedly declined the Guard's presence that day.
Pelosi didn’t hold back, snapping, “Shut up!” before dismissing the query as Republican talking points unfit for a serious journalist. “I did not refuse the National Guard, the president didn’t send it,” she fired back, walking away without further comment.
The clash stems from long-standing claims, including assertions by President Donald Trump, that Pelosi rejected an offer of 10,000 troops ahead of the Stop the Steal rally. This narrative has fueled scrutiny over who truly bears responsibility for the security lapse.
A 2022 Republican report added weight to these accusations, alleging Pelosi and other congressional leaders avoided deploying the Guard beforehand due to concerns about “optics” amid the Black Lives Matter protests and Defund the Police rhetoric. Sources told The Daily Caller in 2021 that former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, under Pelosi’s direction, kept troops off Capitol grounds to sidestep unfavorable public perception.
Pelosi’s defenders might argue she was blindsided by the scale of unrest, but the optics excuse rings hollow when lives and the nation’s Capitol were at stake. Prioritizing image over preparedness in such a charged climate seems a misstep at best, a dangerous gamble at worst.
As the riot unfolded on January 6, 2021, the timeline of National Guard deployment reveals a sluggish reaction that compounded the chaos. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund requested assistance around 1:09 p.m., but formal approval didn’t come until 2:10 p.m.
Pelosi reportedly greenlit Sund’s request at 1:43 p.m., per The New York Times, yet troops didn’t arrive until 5:40 p.m. That hours-long gap left security forces overwhelmed as rioters breached the building.
Critics will note this delay as a glaring failure of leadership, especially when early warnings of potential violence were circulating. If the Guard had been prepositioned, the breach might have been contained far sooner.
In HBO footage from June 2024, Pelosi herself seemed to acknowledge shortcomings, questioning why the National Guard wasn’t already in place. “Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?” she asked, voicing frustration over the late request during the breach.
Her candid remark undercuts any narrative that she was unaware of the risks or uninvolved in security planning. It suggests a deeper systemic failure, one where her influence as Speaker could have pushed for stronger measures upfront.
While some may see her frustration as proof of genuine concern, others will question why that concern didn’t translate to action before disaster struck. Waiting until the Capitol was under siege to sound alarms is a leadership flaw that can’t be easily excused.
As the January 6 subcommittee probes deeper, Pelosi’s role remains a lightning rod for debate over who failed to protect the Capitol. Her sharp exchange with the LindellTV reporter only amplifies the unresolved questions hanging over that day.
Between Republican reports, delayed Guard deployments, and her own recorded doubts, the picture painted isn’t one of decisive stewardship. If security took a backseat to political image, as alleged, it’s a choice that demands reckoning, not deflection.
The nation still grapples with the fallout of January 6, and pinning down accountability isn’t about partisan point-scoring but ensuring such a lapse never repeats. Pelosi’s legacy, for better or worse, will carry the weight of these unanswered concerns until the full truth emerges.
