Ex-Capitol Hill Top Cop Blasts Pelosi for Jan. 6 Claim

Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund on Monday blasted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for criticizing President Donald Trump's activation of the Washington, D.C. National Guard over crime in the district, claiming he delayed deploying the guard in the January 6 riot.

Pelosi, who is still a lawmaker in the House but no longer speaker due to a Republican majority, claimed Trump "delayed" activating the guard when the Capitol complex was overrun by his supporters in 2021.

"Donald Trump delayed deploying the National Guard on January 6th when our Capitol was under violent attack and lives were at stake," Pelosi posted to X. "Now, he’s activating the DC Guard to distract from his incompetent mishandling of tariffs, health care, education and immigration — just to name a few blunders."

The post comes after HBO released videos last year of Pelosi admitting her office needed to take "some responsibility" for the National Guard not being deployed ahead of the riot. The videos were part of a documentary about January 6 and the footage was filmed by Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra.

“We're calling the National Guard now? They should have been here to start out,” Pelosi said in the footage. “How many times did members ask, are we prepared? Are we prepared? We're not prepared for the worst ... We will have totally failed. And we've got to take some responsibility."

Sund, who was the chief during January 6, reminded Pelosi that he was denied National Guard approval despite requesting it days before the riot and was later forced to decline assistance from the National Guard because he was not authorized to accept it.

"Ma’am, it is long past time to be honest with the American people," he wrote in a lengthy post on X. "On January 3, I requested National Guard assistance, but your Sergeant at Arms denied it. Under federal law (2 U.S.C. §1970), I was prohibited from calling them in without specific approval. That same day, Carol Corbin at the Pentagon offered National Guard support, but I was forced to decline because I lacked the legal authority.

"On January 6, while the Capitol was under attack and despite my repeated calls, your Sergeant at Arms again denied my urgent requests for over 70 agonizing minutes, 'running it up the chain' for your approval," he continued. "When I needed assistance, it was denied. Yet when it suited you, you ordered fencing topped with concertina wire and surrounded the Capitol with thousands of armed National Guard troops."

Pelosi has not responded to Sund's criticism.