Footage of Nancy Pelosi telling a reporter to “shut up” after being asked why she refused to deploy the National Guard during the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has gone viral.
The speaker emerita strongly rejected the premise of the question, telling the reporter: “Shut up. I did not refuse the National Guard. The president didn’t send it.”
Newsweek contacted Pelosi for comment via email on Thursday outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
On January 6, 2021, hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed Congress in a bid to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. In the ensuing violence, rioters injured dozens of police officers, and an officer shot and killed Ashli Babbitt, a staunch Trump supporter.
Democrats have argued that the Capitol riot constituted an attack on Democracy, launching an unsuccessful attempt to impeach the president. Republicans, however, have sought to downplay Trump’s role in the day’s events and shift the blame, repeating debunked claims that Pelosi rejected the president’s offer to send in the National Guard.
What To Know
On Wednesday, Alison Steinberg, a reporter for LindellTV, approached Pelosi in a huddle outside the Capitol and asked: “Are you at all concerned about the new January 6 committee finding you liable for that day? Why did you refuse the National Guard on January 6?”
Pelosi replied: “Shut up. I did not refuse the National Guard. The president didn’t send it. Why are you coming here with Republican talking points as if you’re a serious journalist?”
As Pelosi walked away, Steinberg said: “The American people want to know. We still have questions.”
The LindellTV account on X shared a clip of the incident that has received more than 1.5 million views. Mike Lindell, a close ally of the president, created LindellTV.
Conservative-leaning commentators Benny Johnson and Eric Daugherty also shared the video, receiving about 1.2 million and over 880,000 views, respectively.
Trump has repeatedly said that Pelosi, then speaker of the House, turned down his offer to deploy National Guard troops ahead of the January 6, 2021, riot. However, an investigation by Politico found that “Trump never made such an offer, and Pelosi never rejected it,” an assessment the publication said was supported by “military leadership.”
In footage recorded by her filmmaker daughter Alexandra Pelosi on January 6, Pelosi is heard saying: “We’re calling the National Guard, now? It should’ve been here to start out. I just don’t understand it. Why do we empower people this way by not being ready.” HBO provided the video to the House Administration Committee.
After his return to the White House in January, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of about 1,500 people who were convicted in connection with the 2021 Capitol Hill riot.
What People Are Saying
Joyce Vance, a legal commentator and former U.S. attorney, shared a clip of Pelosi’s remarks on X, adding: “She’s still the one.”
User @CallToActivism, a self-described progressive platform with 1.1 million followers on X, wrote: “HOLY S***: Nancy Pelosi just DEMOLISHED a reporter for spreading Trump’s BS. … DON’T MESS WITH SPEAKER PELOSI.”
Brian Krassenstein, an entrepreneur and social media commentator, wrote on X: “Nancy Pelosi just told a reporter to shut up after telling blatant lie.”
Mike Lindell wrote while sharing the clip on X: “What in the world?? This is exactly what we can expect from democrats, watch @SpeakerPelosi as she almost assaults LindellTV’s journalist!”
What Happens Next
As footage of Pelosi’s exchange with Steinberg goes viral on social media, it remains to be seen whether the congresswoman will publicly address the incident.
