Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly admitted she should have done more to protect the US Capitol from the January 6 rioters that former President Donald Trump unleashed to overthrow the election, newly released footage shows.
Pelosi also lashed out at the idea that anyone expected MAGA fans to “act civilized,” according to the video taken as she was whisked away from the Capitol as the angry mob began infiltrating the congressional building.
“We have totally failed. We have to take some responsibility for not holding the security accountable for what could have happened,” the California Democrat raged at one point.
“Oh my god, I cannot believe the stupidity of this. And I take the full responsibility.”
The videos, shot by her filmmaker daughter Alexandra Pelosi amid the chaos, were made public by the Republican-led House Committee on Administration on Wednesday after being turned over by HBO this week.
The footage expands on a previous batch from Pelosi’s daughter’s HBO documentary archives released in June that showed her fuming about the lack of “accountability” and accepting “responsibility” for the lack of security.
“How many times did the members ask, ‘Are we prepared? Are we prepared?’” Pelosi was filmed saying as she was escorted from the Capitol. “We’re not prepared for the worst. We’re calling the National Guard. Now? They should have been here to start out.”
Pelosi later chided her chief of staff, Terri McCullough, as they sped away from the Capitol in an SUV.
“We have responsibility, Terri,” Pelosi fumed. “We did not have any accountability for what was going on there, and we should have. This is ridiculous.”
“You’re gonna ask me in the middle of the thing, when they’ve already breached the inaugural stuff, ‘Should we call the Capitol Police?’ I mean the National Guard. Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?” Pelosi continued.
When McCullough explained that the National Guard believed they had “sufficient resources,” the then-House Speaker shot back: “It’s not a question of how they had … they don’t know! They clearly didn’t know, and I take responsibility for not having them just prepare for more.”
“It’s stupid. They thought they had what? They thought these people would act civilized? They thought these people gave a damn? What is that is missing here in terms of anticipation,” Pelosi added.
In the hours after the rampage, Pelosi then turned her ire to Trump.
“I just feel sick for what he did to the Capitol and to the country today,” Pelosi said in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, according to the videos. “He’s gotta pay a price for that.”
In another clip that showed staffers helping her draft a statement about the insurrection, Pelosi rebuffed her communications director Henry Connelly’s suggestion to call for the resignation of Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund.
“I think our focus has to be on the president. Let’s not divert ourselves,” Pelosi responded.
Elsewhere, Pelosi signaled her intent to describe Trump as “a domestic enemy in the White House.”
“Let’s not mince words about this,” she was filmed saying, though those remarks never made it into her final speech.
The release of the footage comes as House Republicans — led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) –continue to examine the findings of the now-disbanded Jan. 6 select committee.
“This batch of unaired HBO footage is nothing new,” Loudermilk said in a statement Wednesday after releasing the clips.
“For over three years, Nancy Pelosi has refused to take responsibility for her failure to secure the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Instead, she has pushed the focus of the failure on President Trump. As Speaker, she controlled House operations and security on the House side of the Capitol, which she acknowledges in this HBO footage.”
Kash Patel, who served as chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense over the last two months of the Trump administration, vowed that the former president would hold Pelosi accountable for her part in the ordeal – saying it was “long overdue.”
“The American people deserve justice, not lies,” he told The Post on Wednesday. “This is exactly why we need President Trump back in the White House in 2024 — to drain the swamp once and for all, to hold the powerful accountable, and to ensure that the truth is never buried for political gain again.”
“The era of corrupt politicians and media cover-ups is over. With Trump leading the charge, we will restore the rule of law, bring real accountability, and put America first. It’s time to take our country back,” he added.
