Nancy Pelosi Was Not In Charge of Capitol Security On Jan. 6th

Rebecca Bowen

Politics

25th July 2021

Nancy Pelosi Was Not In Charge of Capitol Security On Jan. 6th

Rep. Jim Jordan's question sparked false claims about the Speaker (Getty Images)

The Claim

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi failed to provide extra security to the Capitol during the January 6th riots.

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Earlier in the year, Senate Republicans blocked efforts to create a commission to investigate the events of January 6 in the U.S. capitol. On July 21st, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi denied Rep. Jim Jordan a place on a commission created by the Democratic-held House of Representatives. Jordan then spoke at a news conference and reiterated a hefty accusation against Pelosi. “Why wasn’t there a proper security presence?” He asked, in reference to January 6th. “Only one person can answer that question. Only one. The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.” Social media users followed mass media reports of the comments and users echoed the question.

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Misbar’s Analysis

The Speaker of the House is not responsible for capitol security, and Nancy Pelosi had no control over security on January 6th or any other day. In February, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testified that Pelosi did not make any decisions regarding security on January 6th. He followed the correct chain of command when, on January 4th, he requested extra National Guard personnel from the Sergeant at Arms of both the House and Senate. His request was denied.

Sund also wrote a letter to Pelosi, explaining his side of events. He detailed his actions and to whom he made requests for back up. He explained that he was asked to instead settle for a request for keeping National Guard troops on hold for support “if needed.”

The accusations against Pelosi stem from claims that she influenced the Sergeant at Arms in the days before the riots, but there is no evidence to support such claims. Anonymous sources are the only cited proof for speculation about Pelosi’s involvement.