Nancy Pelosi did not initiate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol; evidence shows she was responding to the attack and called for National Guard assistance.
False
Nancy pelosi initiated the January 6 attack
Pelosi did not block the National Guard from the Capitol on Jan. 6 | AP News
Source: apnews.com
At a glance
Verified August 14, 2025Key Evidence
Pelosi admitted responsibility for security failures but did not initiate violence.
cha.house.govcha.house.govNancy Pelosi Contradicts Her Own Narrative of January 6, HBO Footage Shows -...
She and Senate leaders called for National Guard assistance during the attack.
apnews.comapnews.comPelosi did not block the National Guard from the Capitol on Jan. 6
Fact-checks confirm Pelosi did not block National Guard deployment.
Video footage shows Pelosi responding to, not instigating, the attack.
youtube.comyoutube.comNew video shows Nancy Pelosi responding to Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
The claim that Nancy Pelosi initiated the January 6 attack is false. Multiple credible sources confirm that Pelosi, as Speaker of the House at the time, was not involved in planning or initiating the attack. Instead, she was actively responding to the crisis as it unfolded.
Pelosi was evacuated from the Capitol during the attack and acknowledged responsibility for security failures but did not instigate the violence.cha.house.govcha.house.govNancy Pelosi Contradicts Her Own Narrative of January 6, HBO Footage Shows -...
She called for military assistance, including deployment of the National Guard, to help quell the attack.apnews.comapnews.comPelosi did not block the National Guard from the Capitol on Jan. 6
c-span.orgc-span.org"On January 6th...we begged the president of the United States to send in the...
The timeline of events shows Pelosi presiding over a joint session of Congress when the attack began and taking actions consistent with a leader trying to manage an emergency.npr.orgnpr.orgA timeline of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack
Fact-checking by AP News explicitly states that Pelosi did not block National Guard deployment; rather, she and Senate leaders requested it.apnews.comapnews.comPelosi did not block the National Guard from the Capitol on Jan. 6
Videos and footage from January 6 show Pelosi responding to the attack, not orchestrating it.youtube.comyoutube.comNew video shows Nancy Pelosi responding to Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol
The responsibility for delays in National Guard deployment has been attributed to other officials, including former President Donald Trump, according to multiple sources.c-span.orgc-span.org"On January 6th...we begged the president of the United States to send in the...
theblaze.comtheblaze.comNancy Pelosi cites Jan. 6 to criticize Trump takeover of DC There is no credible evidence linking Pelosi to initiating or encouraging the attack.
Primary trail
Verified Sources7
Open source