Former Capitol Police Chief Sund Confronts Pelosi’s Misleading Jan. 6 Claims

Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund publicly blasted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, releasing a detailed timeline that directly contradicts her latest claims about her handling of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The confrontation came hours after Pelosi lashed out at Lindell TV reporter Alison Steinberg outside the Capitol, where Steinberg pressed her on why she refused to deploy National Guard troops as the riot escalated.

Pelosi snapped back, shouting, “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?”

When Steinberg pressed again, Pelosi shifted blame to then-President Trump — a claim now firmly rebutted by Sund.

In a post on X, Sund fired back:

“Ma’am, let me help refresh your memory. 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 added that under 2 U.S.C. §1970, he did not have the authority to summon the Guard without approval from the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms — both of whom reported to congressional leadership, including Pelosi.

He posted a full timeline of his requests, starting January 3, 2021, when Pelosi’s Sergeant at Arms, Paul Irving, cited “optics” concerns about deploying troops around the Capitol. Sund’s repeated pleas at 12:58 p.m., 1:05 p.m., and 1:21 p.m. on January 6 were denied as Irving allegedly waited for Pelosi’s authorization.

Approval finally came at 2:08 p.m. — more than 70 minutes later, when the Capitol was already overrun.

Sund maintains that Pelosi’s delay “cost lives” and allowed the riot to spiral out of control.

His timeline is backed by evidence revealed in June 2024, when House Oversight Committee footage captured Pelosi herself saying, “I take responsibility.”

Further reports indicate that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Pelosi jointly rejected preemptive National Guard support despite warnings from federal intelligence agencies. At the same time, FBI Director Christopher Wray reportedly withheld intelligence that might have allowed the Trump administration to intervene sooner.

Together, these actions have fueled growing allegations of a politically motivated “set-up” designed to embarrass the Trump administration by ensuring minimal preemptive security around the Capitol.

Sund’s earlier congressional testimony supports this view, describing repeated denials from Pelosi’s and Senate leadership offices even as violence escalated.

Security analysts now argue that a timely National Guard deployment could have prevented the breach altogether, saving lives and property. Instead, Sund contends, political optics took priority over public safety.

Pelosi’s heated outburst at Steinberg and her ongoing denials now stand in sharp contrast to her 2024 admission of responsibility, further eroding her credibility. The new January 6 Committee, empaneled under President Trump’s second administration, is expected to investigate the matter more deeply — potentially reopening questions about who truly failed to protect the Capitol.

Pelosi’s office has yet to respond to Sund’s latest accusations.