Pelosi in Jan 6th and the national gaurd
Executive summary
Newly released footage shows then‑Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying “I take responsibility” for security failures on Jan. 6 and asking why the National Guard “wasn’t there to begin with,” but multiple fact‑checks and contemporaneous reporting conclude she did not “block” or have unilateral authority to call up the Guard; the Capitol Police Board and the Defense Department were central to deployment decisions [1] [2]. Republicans on the House Administration committee use the footage to argue Pelosi owned the Guard absence; AP and other outlets report that Pelosi and other leaders repeatedly sought Guard assistance that day and that only the president, defense secretary or Army secretary can activate the D.C. National Guard [3] [2] [1].
1. What the footage actually shows — a moment of accountability, not an order
Raw video filmed by Alexandra Pelosi captures Nancy Pelosi, during evacuation on Jan. 6, expressing frustration — “Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?” — and saying “we have totally failed” and “I take full responsibility” for security lapses [4] [5]. House Republicans have highlighted those lines to assert Pelosi admitted responsibility for “not having the National Guard” at the Capitol [3]. Fact‑checkers note the footage shows Pelosi reacting to security failures, not directing deployment authority [1] [6].
2. Who actually decides to call up the Guard for the Capitol
Available reporting explains the decision to request National Guard support for the U.S. Capitol rests with the Capitol Police Board (House and Senate Sergeants at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol) and ultimately the Defense Department; a member of Congress does not have sole authority to activate the D.C. National Guard—authority lies with the president, the defense secretary and the Army secretary for federal activation [2] [1]. Multiple sources say the Capitol Police Board and security officials determined not to call the Guard in advance and that Pentagon approval was delayed once the attack began [2] [6].
3. Did Pelosi “block” the National Guard? The evidence and debunking
The claim that Pelosi blocked Guard deployment has been repeatedly debunked. AP’s detailed fact‑check concluded she did not block the Guard and that she and other congressional leaders appealed to military officials for help as the riot unfolded [2]. PolitiFact similarly found the viral social posts misrepresent the footage and its meaning, while other outlets trace GOP messaging that frames Pelosi as responsible [1] [4].
4. Republican use of the footage and competing narratives
The House Administration committee and its chair used the unaired HBO footage to assert Pelosi contradicted her earlier public statements and to shift blame for security failures [3] [5]. Republicans present the clip as proof Pelosi owned the Guard absence; other outlets and fact‑checkers interpret the same footage as a frustrated leader asking why established security mechanisms failed — not as evidence she ordered the Guard withheld [4] [6]. This illustrates how the same raw material is being used to advance competing political narratives.
5. Who asked whom for help on Jan. 6 — chronology and gaps
Contemporaneous reporting and later investigations show calls for military assistance came from multiple senior officials that day (Mitch McConnell, Mike Pence and others), that the Capitol Police requested Guard support and that Pentagon leaders hesitated over optics and authorization before approving a limited deployment hours later [2] [4]. Sources in this collection do not provide a minute‑by‑minute statutory record here; detailed DoD timelines and internal emails are not contained in these search results and thus “not found in current reporting” provided.
6. What this matters for public understanding and political framing
The footage is newsworthy because it humanizes lawmakers during the crisis and because Republicans can extract a soundbite — “I take responsibility” — to push accountability narratives [5] [3]. But factual responsibility for National Guard activation is a legal and operational question separate from rhetorical responsibility; AP and other fact‑checks stress that legal authority and the actions of the Capitol Police Board and Pentagon, not a single lawmaker’s decision, determined Guard timing [2] [1].
Limitations and final note
Available sources here are limited to press reports, committee releases and fact‑checks; they confirm Pelosi expressed regret and was portrayed by Republicans as admitting responsibility but also repeatedly conclude she did not have authority to order the Guard nor did she “block” it. A full legal record of Pentagon and Capitol Police Board communications is not included in these sources and therefore not addressed in this analysis [2] [1].