Nancy Pelosi’s January 6th performance was like watching a badly scripted drama unfold in real-time. For someone who loves to shout about democracy and accountability, she sure seemed more focused on getting Trump out of office than addressing the immediate security failures at the Capitol. As soon as the smoke cleared from the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Pelosi made it clear: the blame game wasn’t going to focus on Capitol security—it was all about Trump. Forget about the fact that Capitol security was a disaster that day; Pelosi wanted her narrative, and she wanted it loud.
Pelosi, on her way to the Capitol, shut down her senior aide Drew Hammill when he suggested calling for Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund’s resignation. “Let’s not divert ourselves,” she said, because nothing could take the spotlight off her favorite target—Trump. Oh, and this gem of a moment was caught on film by her daughter, Alexandra Pelosi, because what’s a political crisis without a family documentary crew tagging along? HBO got its hands on the footage, and wouldn’t you know, it became another episode of the Pelosi Show, streaming conveniently for all to see.
The footage shows Pelosi’s movements around January 6, documenting her reaction to the Capitol breach, her evacuation to Fort McNair, and her disdain for anyone suggesting the real issue was the security breakdown. Nearly four years later, the media is still milking January 6 for all it’s worth, keeping the narrative alive like it’s the final season of a series they just can’t let go. Meanwhile, Republicans have tried to counter the Democratic-led January 6 committee’s narrative, even releasing footage that shows how flawed the security setup really was. But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good blame fest, right?
It’s no secret that Trump and his allies have pointed fingers at Pelosi, accusing her of failing to secure the Capitol. Of course, she’s not technically in charge of Capitol security, but when has technicality ever stopped the media from running with a narrative? The actual responsibility falls on the Capitol Police Board, but you’d hardly know that from the way Pelosi talks as if she’s hands-off.
GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk is leading a probe into the Capitol attack, and he’s got a few bones to pick with how the whole January 6 committee ran things. His team has suggested that the committee withheld key witness transcripts that could have undermined their big claims about the so-called “insurrection.” But it’s easier for Pelosi and her crew to gloss over these inconvenient details, isn’t it?
Now, we’ve got special counsel Jack Smith filing a revised indictment against Trump, trying to breathe life back into the January 6 case even after the Supreme Court ruled on presidential immunity. So much for moving on. Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandra, didn’t waste the opportunity to plug her work, saying, “Hope you appreciate the cinematography: backwards and in heels!”—because who cares about objective facts when you can sell your own version of events?
The clips also show Pelosi discussing her desire for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment against Trump, and her reaction after Pence didn’t comply. She pushed ahead with impeachment instead. You’ve got to hand it to Pelosi—she’s persistent, even when the Constitution and reality don’t quite line up with her plans.
From her evacuation from the Capitol to her arrival at Fort McNair, Pelosi’s focus never wavered from making sure Trump paid the price for January 6. But as the footage reveals, she was quick to criticize Capitol Police Chief Sund and even wanted to adjust her rhetoric around Trump’s impeachment once she reached the Capitol the next day. She didn’t want to risk overplaying her hand without the support of all the blue-dog Democrats.
Let’s be real, though: Pelosi’s harshest words were always reserved for Trump. “There’s a domestic enemy in the White House,” she told her staff, doubling down on her narrative. It’s like she’s stuck in a loop where the only solution is to point fingers at Trump while ignoring the glaring failures right under her nose. It’s clear that Pelosi had one mission: make Trump the villain of January 6 at all costs, even if that meant sidestepping accountability for her own role—or lack thereof—in the Capitol’s security fiasco.