Capitol Police Chief Challenges Pelosi Over J6 National Guard Delay

In a dramatic turn of events, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund has publicly called out former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her handling of the January 6 Capitol riot, directly confronting her for her claims about President Donald Trump's delay in deploying the National Guard.

The exchange has reignited a fierce political battle over responsibility for the security failures that led to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Pelosi's comments, made earlier this week, were aimed at Trump after he announced a sweeping federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., including the activation of the D.C. National Guard to patrol the streets.

The former Speaker, visibly upset, criticized Trump for delaying the Guard's deployment during the January 6 attack, accusing him of mishandling national security issues on multiple fronts, including tariffs, healthcare, and immigration.

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

However, Sund, who resigned from his position as Capitol Police Chief following the riot, wasted no time in responding to Pelosi's accusations. In a statement released on Monday, Sund hit back hard, revealing critical details about the events surrounding the National Guard's delayed response on January 6.

Sund emphasized that Pelosi's office played a central role in blocking the National Guard’s deployment, contradicting Pelosi’s narrative that Trump was solely to blame.

"Ma’am, it is long past time to be honest with the American people," Sund wrote in his statement. He detailed how, three days before the January 6 riot, he had formally requested National Guard support for the Capitol.

According to Sund, this request was rejected by Pelosi’s own Sergeant at Arms, Paul Irving, despite the clear and present danger facing the Capitol.

Sund went on to explain that under federal law, he was prohibited from calling in the National Guard without specific approval from the Capitol Hill leadership.

On the same day he made his request, Sund says he was offered National Guard assistance from the Pentagon, but due to the lack of authorization, he had no choice but to decline.

The Pentagon, Sund revealed, was willing to provide the support, but his hands were tied by the legal and bureaucratic constraints set by Congress.

When the January 6 riot erupted and chaos ensued, Sund claims he again begged for National Guard support, but his requests were delayed for over an hour as the Capitol was under attack.

He said he was told that the decision needed to be escalated for approval, with Pelosi’s Sergeant at Arms once again stalling the request. The Capitol Police Chief's desperate pleas for help went unheard, as the violence intensified and the building was overtaken by rioters.

Sund’s statement also accused Pelosi of hypocrisy. He pointed out that when it suited her political needs, she was quick to authorize the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to secure the Capitol, including the installation of concertina wire around the building.

Yet, when Sund needed help to protect the Capitol on January 6, Pelosi’s office blocked the support he requested.

“While I was begging for help, your Sergeant at Arms denied it. Yet when it suited you, you ordered fencing topped with concertina wire and surrounded the Capitol with thousands of armed National Guard troops,” Sund wrote, criticizing Pelosi’s selective actions during the crisis.

The timing of Sund’s remarks couldn’t have been more significant, coming shortly after a clip aired on CNN from an HBO documentary showing Pelosi’s angry remarks on January 6.

In the footage, Pelosi can be heard telling her aides that she wanted Trump to come to the Capitol so she could “punch him out” and "go to jail... happy."

The comments, captured by Pelosi's own daughter, further revealed the Speaker’s deep personal animus toward Trump, adding another layer of complexity to the narrative surrounding her response to the Capitol attack.

Despite the footage, Pelosi had not authorized the National Guard to secure the Capitol, even though Sund had requested it repeatedly. This contradiction has led many to question why Pelosi was "waiting" for an opportunity to confront Trump physically rather than ensuring the security of the Capitol.

Sund’s claims, therefore, challenge Pelosi’s portrayal of herself as a responsible leader during the chaos of January 6.

Sund’s revelations reignite the broader political debate over who bears responsibility for the security failures leading up to the January 6 insurrection. Democrats, including Pelosi, have long blamed Trump for not sending reinforcements to protect the Capitol.

However, Trump and his allies have consistently argued that the responsibility for securing the Capitol fell under the purview of Congress, meaning Pelosi’s office and the Sergeant at Arms were responsible for the delay.

In fact, it is a documented fact that Trump had instructed the Pentagon to prepare for a security presence on January 6, anticipating the potential for unrest due to the expected objections to the election results.

Trump had even pre-authorized the deployment of up to 10,000 National Guard troops to the Capitol if needed, but, as Sund’s account suggests, it was Pelosi’s office that stood in the way of securing the Capitol during the riot.

The bitter political division over the January 6 events has only deepened with Sund’s public challenge to Pelosi. Pelosi’s repeated criticism of Trump’s failure to act quickly on the National Guard has now been undermined by the former Capitol Police Chief’s testimony, which exposes a level of bureaucratic dysfunction at the highest levels of Congress.

The irony of the situation is hard to ignore. While Pelosi has continually blamed Trump for the Capitol’s lack of security, it was her own office that delayed the necessary military response when Sund requested it.

This twist has put the spotlight back on Pelosi’s leadership during the crisis, as she faces mounting scrutiny over her actions, or lack thereof, during the attack.

Sund’s statements also highlight a key issue regarding the role of local and federal authorities in protecting the Capitol. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s earlier objection to additional federal law enforcement presence in the city before January 6 is now being scrutinized more heavily.

Despite receiving multiple warnings about the potential for violence, Bowser and Pelosi both downplayed the need for increased security, a move that many now believe directly contributed to the chaos that unfolded.

Sund’s accusations against Pelosi serve as a reminder of the deep political divides within the government regarding the events of January 6. While many Democrats have continued to blame Trump for the security failure, others are beginning to question whether Congressional leadership, including Pelosi, failed in their duty to safeguard the Capitol and its personnel.

The true extent of Pelosi’s responsibility in this debacle may remain unclear for some time, but Sund’s public statement has certainly shifted the conversation.

In the meantime, the D.C. National Guard is once again on alert, as Trump’s federal crime crackdown takes hold in the city. The irony of the situation, with Trump now deploying the National Guard that was once denied to Sund, is not lost on observers.

In what many view as a political chess move, Trump’s actions seem to challenge the Democratic narrative that he was solely responsible for the failures of January 6.

As this political firestorm continues to rage, one thing is clear: the battle over who was responsible for the failures of January 6 is far from over. Pelosi’s office, once the seat of power in this narrative, is now under increasing scrutiny for its role in the Capitol’s security collapse. And as Steven Sund’s powerful testimony highlights, the truth of what happened that day is still being fiercely contested in the political arena.

Why did Nancy Pelosi REALLY have a film crew recording her at the Capitol on January 6th?

Pelosi: “I've been waiting for this... for trespassing on the Capitol grounds.”

Why was she expecting this to happen? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/QUoQ91Ffto

— Gain of Fauci (@DschlopesIsBack) August 3, 2025