In a recent revelation, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressed regret over not calling for the National Guard's assistance prior to the events of January 6, 2021.
Pelosi disclosed that she had been queried by fellow Congress members about the state of preparedness before the fateful day.
According to The Post Millennial, video evidence submitted to House Republican investigators this week depicted Pelosi and her team hastily exiting the Capitol via a tunnel on January 6. Pelosi was heard saying, We're calling the National Guard now? They should have been here to start out.
The video was captured by Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra, who was filming a documentary on that day. The documentary, titled "The Insurrectionist Next Door," was later aired on HBO. The statements made by Pelosi were outtakes from the documentary, which were only recently handed over to the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee. The subcommittee, led by Barry Loudermilk, is responsible for investigating the security lapses of January 6, following the Republicans' takeover of the House in January 2023.
Despite her previous assertions of having no responsibility for the security arrangements on January 6, Pelosi's comments in the video suggest otherwise. She is heard demanding the immediate resignation of Paul Irving, the Sergeant at Arms and chief House security officer who reported to her. Pelosi admitted, How many times did members ask, are we prepared? Are we prepared? We're not prepared for the worst. Later in the video, she added, "We will have totally failed. And we've got to take some responsibility."
It was reported earlier that the outgoing Pentagon leadership under President Donald Trump had offered the National Guard's assistance to Congress via the Capitol Police four days before January 6. However, this offer was declined by Deputy Police Chief Sean Gallagher on January 2, 2021. Despite this rejection, the Capitol Police were already reassessing their security measures, having received information about fringe groups planning to block tunnels leading to the Capitol.
In 2023, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testified before Congress that he had requested the National Guard's presence in advance of January 6, but was denied permission by security officials reporting to Pelosi and incoming Senate Leader Chuck Schumer.
The newly released footage also revealed Pelosi's intent to hold Trump accountable for the riot as she returned to the Capitol. I just feel sick about what he did to the Capitol and the country today, Pelosi said as she left in an SUV after order was restored to the Capitol. Hes got to pay a price for that.
In June, additional footage from the documentary was released by the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight. In this footage, Pelosi acknowledged her responsibility for failing to prevent the mob's actions. "We have responsibility, Terri," Pelosi was heard saying, referring to her Chief of Staff Terri McCullough. "We did not have any accountability for what was going on there, and we should have."
Pelosi was also heard questioning why the National Guard was not present from the start. "This is ridiculous. Youre going to ask me in the middle of the thing when theyve already breached the inaugural stuff that should we call the Capitol police I mean the National Guard? Why werent the National Guard there to begin with?" she said from the backseat of an SUV while fleeing the Capitol. When someone off-camera suggested that they thought they had sufficient resources, Pelosi responded, "They clearly didnt know. And I take responsibility for not having them just prepare for more."
In 2022, House Republicans released a report demonstrating through texts and emails that Pelosis office was directly involved in the planning of security for the U.S. Capitol that failed during the January 6 riot. This revelation underscores the importance of accountability and preparedness in maintaining the security and integrity of our nation's institutions.
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