Former Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund on Wednesday publicly contradicted former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s latest claims about her handling of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, releasing a detailed timeline that accuses her office of obstructing National Guard support.
The confrontation follows a heated exchange earlier Wednesday morning, when Pelosi lashed out at Lindell TV reporter Alison Steinberg outside the Capitol, denying responsibility for the security failures that day.
Steinberg pressed Pelosi on why she refused to deploy the National Guard as the riot unfolded. Pelosi snapped, “SHUT UP! I did not refuse the National Guard. The President didn’t send it. Why are you coming here with Republican talking points as if you are a serious journalist?”
Steinberg persisted, citing public demand for answers, but Pelosi deflected, blaming former President Trump.
Sund’s response, posted on X, directly challenges Pelosi’s narrative.
“Ma’am, let me help refresh your memory,” he wrote. “It was your Sergeant at Arms (SAA) who repeatedly denied my multiple requests for National Guard assistance before and on January 6. Even on Jan 6, your Sergeant at Arms denied my urgent requests for over 70 minutes, while he was ‘running it up the chain’ for your approval.” Sund noted that the Pentagon had offered assistance, but he lacked the legal authority—required under federal law (2 U.S.C. §1970)—due to denials from Pelosi’s office.
Accompanying his statement was a timeline of his requests, beginning January 3, 2021, when Pelosi’s SAA Irving cited “optics” concerns, and continuing through January 6. Multiple appeals—at 12:58 p.m., 1:05 p.m., 1:21 p.m., and beyond—were denied as Irving awaited Pelosi’s approval. Approval finally came at 2:08 p.m., after over an hour of delays, by which time the riot had escalated. Sund argues this hesitation cost lives and enabled the breach.
Evidence supporting Sund’s claims emerged in June 2024, when House Oversight Committee footage showed Pelosi admitting, “I take responsibility.”
Reports also indicate D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Pelosi jointly rejected thousands of National Guard troops for political reasons, despite pre-event intelligence. The FBI, under Christopher Wray, reportedly withheld similar warnings from the Trump administration, further complicating the response.
Pelosi and Bowser’s decisions have fueled allegations of a premeditated “set-up,” with critics arguing the refusals were politically motivated to avoid militarizing the Capitol ahead of a Trump-related protest. Sund’s testimony before Congress previously detailed his repeated pleas to House and Senate security officials, all rebuffed until the situation spiraled.
The implications are stark. Had the National Guard been deployed promptly, analysts suggest the violence—resulting in multiple deaths and injuries—might have been averted. Sund’s public rebuke, backed by timestamps and official denials, intensifies scrutiny on Pelosi’s leadership during the crisis. Her dismissal of Steinberg’s questions today only amplifies calls for accountability, with some pointing to the new January 6 Committee’s ongoing probe as a potential avenue to resolve lingering questions about culpability for the Capitol riots.
Pelosi’s office has not yet responded to Sund’s latest accusations. However, the former speaker’s past admission of responsibility contrasts sharply with her recent denials, raising questions about transparency.