Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confronted a pro-Trump media personality on the steps of the U.S. Capitol after being pressed with questions about her alleged responsibility for the events of January 6, 2021.
The confrontation began when Alison Steinberg, a correspondent for LindellTV, a network owned by MyPillow founder and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell, approached Pelosi with a series of politically charged questions.
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“Congresswoman Pelosi, are you at all concerned that the new January 6th committee will find you liable for that day?” Steinberg asked as Pelosi made her way across the Capitol grounds.
Undeterred, Steinberg continued, “Why did you refuse the National Guard on January 6th?” At that point, Pelosi turned toward her and replied sharply, “Shut up!” The California Democrat then added, “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?” Steinberg ended the exchange by saying, “The American people want to know. We still have questions. Thank you,” as Pelosi walked away.
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The claim that Pelosi blocked the National Guard from responding on January 6 has long been a disputed right-wing talking point. President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly alleged that he requested troops to secure the Capitol before the attack, which he incited during a rally urging supporters to “fight like hell.”
However, official testimony and government records contradict that narrative. Trump’s former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller told the House January 6 committee that there was no order from Trump to have military personnel ready before the rally.
“I was never given any direction or order or knew of any plans of that nature,” Miller testified. Additionally, the claim that the Speaker of the House oversees the D.C. National Guard is false. According to the official D.C. National Guard website, the unit reports directly to the President of the United States through the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army. Unlike other state guards, it does not fall under local or congressional control.
“The D.C. National Guard is the only National Guard unit, out of all of the 54 states and territories, which reports only to the President,” the Guard’s official statement reads. Pelosi has consistently rejected efforts to assign her blame for the Capitol riot, calling such claims politically motivated distortions aimed at rewriting the events of January 6.