Fact-Checking Trump's Claim That Nancy Pelosi Was Responsible for the Capitol Riot

Former President Donald Trump has consistently blamed Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for not securing the Capitol on January 6, 2021, arguing she could have done more to prevent his supporters—who believed the 2020 election was stolen—from attacking the U.S. Capitol. In a 2022 email to his supporters, Trump denounced the House Select Committee's investigation, urging them to concentrate on Pelosi's actions. Trump made the claim that the committee knew Pelosi and the Mayor of D.C. were responsible and thus have avoided scrutiny. 

Newly released footage from January 6, 2021 has revived the conservative claims that Pelosi, then the Speaker of the House, is to blame for the National Guard's delayed response to the Capitol attack. On June 10, the House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight shared a brief video on X showing Pelosi leaving the Capitol as rioters took over, questioning her chief of staff about the National Guard's delay. The subcommittee's post asserted that Pelosi admitted responsibility, contrasting this with her narrative blaming Trump.

In an effort to reinvestigate the attack, Republicans on the House Oversight Subcommittee obtained 45 minutes of previously unseen footage from documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, Pelosi’s daughter, according to a June 9 Politico report. The subcommittee shared two clips from this footage on X, showing Pelosi leaving the Capitol by car as the riot unfolded.

The first, shorter clip (41 seconds), which has been widely circulated, begins with Pelosi expressing frustration over the lack of National Guard presence: “We have responsibility, Terri. We did not have any accountability for what was going on there, and we should have... Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?”

The longer clip (1 minute and 28 seconds), labeled as "the full video" by the subcommittee, includes additional context where Pelosi criticizes Capitol security officials for inadequate preparation and guidance to congressional members. Pelosi remarks, "They thought these people would act civilized? They thought these people gave a damn? What is it that is missing here, in terms of anticipation?"

The release of these clips reignites debates over Pelosi’s role and responsibility in the security failures during the Capitol attack.

Multiple news outlets, including PolitiFact, have debunked claims that Pelosi was responsible for the attack. Evidence shows she was a target of the rioters and not responsible for security failures. Pelosi shared responsibility for Capitol security with the sergeants-at-arms, who reported to her and the Senate Majority Leader. Only the U.S. president, defense secretary, and Army secretary can activate the National Guard.

The House Select Committee found no evidence that Trump ordered the National Guard's deployment. On January 6, Pelosi approved the House sergeant-at-arms' request to seek National Guard support, but Pentagon delays meant the Guard arrived four hours later.

Footage shows Pelosi and then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer negotiating for National Guard deployment, expressing frustration over delays. Newly released footage from Alexandra Pelosi, reviewed by Politico, aligns with previous evidence and supports Pelosi's efforts to secure assistance, refuting GOP claims of her fault that day.