Former President Donald Trump, in his first network interview since leaving office, has claimed that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi bears responsibility for the events of January 6th. During an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump asserted that Pelosi was in charge of security and turned down a request for 10,000 soldiers, suggesting that had she approved the request, the Capitol riot might have been prevented.
When asked if he had personally contacted military or law enforcement on that fateful day, Trump declined to provide a direct response and stated, “I behaved so well, I did such a good job, Nancy Pelosi turned down 10,000 soldiers… if she didn’t do that…” NBC’s Kristen Welker challenged Trump, pointing out that Pelosi did not possess the authority he had as commander in chief.
Trump responded by mentioning that the Capitol police had testified against Pelosi, expressing strong opposition to her, and accusing them of destroying evidence related to her actions. He argued that Pelosi had the authority over the Capitol and claimed that he had requested National Guard presence three days in advance, which she allegedly denied.
Welker interjected, noting that Pelosi had stated that no official request had been made. Trump countered this by referencing a letter from the mayor of D.C. that he claimed supported his version of events. He insisted that the Capitol police commissioner had also requested National Guard support, which Pelosi allegedly rejected. Trump firmly stated, “She’s responsible for Jan. 6.”
Trump also criticized the Jan. 6 Committee for refusing to interview Pelosi, and a representative for Pelosi’s office responded by dismissing Trump’s allegations as baseless.
The decision to call National Guard troops to the Capitol falls under the purview of the Capitol Police Board, composed of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms, and the architect of the Capitol. The board chose not to request Guard assistance before January 6th but eventually did so after the riot had already begun, with troops arriving several hours later.
Discrepancies in accounts emerged among officials on the board and the former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund regarding who had requested the Guard and when. Both sergeants at arms and the police chief resigned following the attack. The Jan. 6 House Committee did not subpoena Pelosi.
Trump insisted that he displayed leadership on January 6th, despite Welker’s questioning, and stated that he could have pardoned himself before leaving office but chose not to do so.
He also disputed a claim made by a former White House aide that he had grabbed a Secret Service agent by the neck and demanded to go to the Capitol. Trump declined to provide details on how he observed the events of January 6th, promising to share more information at a later time. He acknowledged that he had told people to go home and praised the police, but this came hours after the riot had begun.