A newly unearthed video from Tuesday shows former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressing regret over the absence of the National Guard at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The footage captures Pelosi lamenting that the Guard wasn’t pre-positioned to protect Congress during the certification of the 2020 election results—a move that she had previously opposed, despite a request from then-President Donald Trump for thousands of troops to secure the Capitol.
The video reveals Pelosi acknowledging the failure to adequately secure the Capitol, stating, “We’re calling the National Guard now? They should have been here to start out.” This remark was made as Pelosi was being evacuated through a tunnel under the Capitol, and was captured by her daughter, Alexandra, who was filming for an eventual HBO documentary.
This footage, which had not been fully aired in the documentary, was recently turned over to House Republican investigators and has sparked renewed scrutiny over Pelosi’s role in the security failures of that day. The footage has been cited by critics who argue that Pelosi, along with Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, bear responsibility for the lack of preparedness that contributed to the chaos.
Just the News reported that Pelosi’s expressions of regret were not previously disclosed and were only made public after being obtained by the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee, chaired by Barry Loudermilk. The subcommittee took over the investigation into the January 6 security failures after Republicans gained control of the House in 2023.
Both Pelosi and Bowser were warned about potential security threats prior to January 6 but declined offers for National Guard support. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund had requested that the D.C. National Guard be placed on standby, but his requests were denied by House and Senate security officials.
In June, Chief Sund responded to the release of the video, criticizing Pelosi for claiming surprise at the lack of National Guard presence on January 6. Sund reiterated that his requests for National Guard support were repeatedly denied both before and during the events of that day, stating that his story has not changed.