Fact-check analysisVerified as of August 15, 2025Curated by FactVerify
False

Was Nancy pelosi in charge of releasing the national guard on January 6th?

Nancy Pelosi was not in charge of releasing the National Guard on January 6th, 2021.

Pelosi did not block the National Guard from the Capitol on Jan. 6 - AP News

Pelosi did not block the National Guard from the Capitol on Jan. 6 - AP News

Source: apnews.com

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified August 15, 2025
The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House at the time of the January 6th Capitol attack, did not have the authority to deploy or release the National Guard. The decision to activate the National Guard in Washington, D.C., involves coordination primarily with the Department of Defense and the President of the United States. Multiple fact-checks and official statements confirm that Pelosi did not block or control National Guard deployment.

Instead, it was reported that requests for National Guard assistance were made to the President, who delayed approval. The Capitol Police Board and other security officials also played roles in decisions about National Guard deployment, but Pelosi was not in command of these forces. Claims that Pelosi was responsible for delaying or blocking National Guard deployment have been repeatedly debunked by reputable sources.

Primary trail

Verified Sources7

Fact checking Nancy Pelosi and the National Guard on Jan. 6

knoxnews.com
Open source

"On January 6th...we begged the president of the United States to send in the...

c-span.org
Open source

Pelosi did not block the National Guard from the Capitol on Jan. 6

apnews.com
Open source
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