Nancy Pelosi just unleashed a fiery outburst at a reporter who dared to ask about her role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol chaos, as Daily Caller reports.
On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the former House Speaker found herself in a heated exchange with a LindellTV journalist over lingering questions about security failures during the infamous Capitol riot nearly five years prior.
The confrontation unfolded when the reporter pressed Pelosi on whether she feared liability from the January 6 Select Committee for not calling in the National Guard ahead of the riot.
“Shut up! I did not refuse the National Guard; the president didn’t send it. Why are you coming here with Republican talking points as if you’re a serious journalist?” Pelosi snapped, as reported by LindellTV, before pointing a finger at the reporter and storming off without further comment.
That sharp retort didn’t exactly scream “let’s have a reasoned discussion,” but it does spotlight the raw nerve that January 6 still touches for many in Washington.
Flash back to the day of the riot itself, when security at the Capitol crumbled under the weight of the crowd breaching its walls, leaving many to question how such a lapse could occur.
Reports from as early as 2021 suggest Pelosi and other congressional leaders hesitated to deploy the National Guard before the event, citing concerns over public perception amid the heated political climate of that time.
A 2022 Republican report pointed out that the decision to keep troops at bay was influenced by a desire to avoid negative “optics” during a period marked by social unrest and debates over law enforcement’s role.
Adding fuel to the fire, former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving reportedly claimed Pelosi directed that National Guard troops stay off Capitol grounds to dodge any unflattering imagery, according to sources cited by the Daily Caller in February 2021.
President Donald Trump has long maintained that he offered 10,000 troops to secure the Capitol ahead of the Stop the Steal rally on January 6, 2021, an offer he says Pelosi declined.
As the riot unfolded that day, Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund sent an urgent plea for National Guard assistance to Irving around 1:09 p.m., signaling the desperate need for backup.
Pelosi reportedly gave her approval for Sund’s request around 1:43 p.m., per The New York Times, with formal authorization for the troops coming at approximately 2:10 p.m.
Despite the approvals, National Guard forces didn’t arrive at the Capitol until around 5:40 p.m., leaving a gaping window during which chaos reigned unchecked.
Footage released by HBO in June 2024 captured Pelosi reflecting on the day, saying, “You’re gonna ask me in the middle of the thing, when they’ve already breached the inaugural stuff, ‘should we call the Capitol Police?’ I mean the National Guard. Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?”
That admission raises eyebrows—why indeed wasn’t there a stronger presence from the start, especially given the charged atmosphere leading up to the rally?
