A new video shows former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) admitting that she and other Democrat leaders “totally failed” to protect the U.S. Capitol by not calling in the U.S. National Guard prior to the Capitol Hill protest on January 6, 2021.
Just the News reported that the new footage from January 6 was turned over to House Republicans this week, showing that Pelosi did not want to evacuate the Capitol Building and that the former House speaker regretted not having the National Guard in place to protect Congress during the certification of the controversial 2020 election results.
In the video, Pelosi can be heard saying, “How many times did members ask, are we prepared? Are we prepared? We’re not prepared for the worst.” As she evacuated from a tunnel underneath the Capitol Building, Pelosi added, “We’re calling the National Guard now? They should have been here to start out.”
Just the News reported that the video was recorded by Pelosi’s daughter Alexandra. Videos recorded on January 6 by Pelosi’s daughter were later used in an HBO documentary about the Capitol Hill protest; however, Pelosi’s comments expressing regret over her decision to not have the National Guard at the Capitol Building prior to the January 6 protest were not fully included in the HBO documentary.
According to Just the News, the new video was turned over to House Administration Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who has been tasked with investigating the security failures that led to the January 6 protest. The outlet noted that the footage appears to contradict Pelosi’s private statements that she did not have responsibility for arranging security on Capitol Hill.
READ MORE: Video: New Jan. 6 footage shows Pelosi claiming ‘responsibility’ for Capitol storming
Just the News reported that new footage also shows Pelosi urging former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving to resign over the security failures.
“We will have totally failed,” Pelosi can be heard saying in the most recent footage. “And we’ve got to take some responsibility.”
Just the News previously reported that the Pentagon leadership team under former President Donald Trump had offered to have the National Guard present during the certification of the 2020 election results four days prior to January 6 but that the offer was refused by Deputy Police Chief Sean Gallagher.
The outlet also reported that former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told Congress in 2023 that he wanted assistance from the National Guard prior to the protest but was not permitted to call in the National Guard by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Pelosi’s security officials.
