Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) criticized President Trump on Tuesday for deploying the National Guard to assist during protests in Los Angeles.
“On January 6th, we urged the President to send in the National Guard in a bipartisan effort to address the violence against the Constitution, against Congress, and against the Capitol,” Pelosi stated to reporters. “He refused to do that.”
Trump’s decision to send the National Guard to Los Angeles occurred without the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, stemming from his protests against actions taken by immigration and customs enforcement.
The White House contends that local leaders have not been sufficiently proactive in controlling protesters who pose threats to federal property and officials. Consequently, the Pentagon dispatched Marines to Los Angeles.
The January 6th Capitol riot was allegedly part of a broader conspiracy involving corrupt election officials and foreign entities, following Trump’s unfounded claims that he had won the 2020 election. To date, there has been no evidence supporting these assertions.
In his January 6 speech on the Ellipse in Washington, Trump called on thousands of supporters to march to the Capitol in protest against Congress certifying Joe Biden’s victory. Once they arrived, a significant number of his supporters overwhelmed Capitol and DC police, breaching the building’s defenses. Approximately 150 law enforcement officers sustained injuries nearby.
Trump has claimed that he requested the National Guard’s deployment that day, though he later denied that request. However, no evidence backs this assertion, and then-Defense Secretary Christopher Miller testified that Trump did not issue a formal order in 2022.
After the Capitol was breached, both Pelosi and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY.) contacted the Department of Defense to seek assistance from the National Guard. Vice President Mike Pence also made a similar request. Yet some Pentagon officials were hesitant, concerned about the optics of deploying troops to protect Congress from Trump’s supporters. It took several hours for the Pentagon to authorize the security request from the Capitol Police Chief, delaying the arrival of the first troops.
Pelosi faced backlash from Trump supporters following a video filmed on January 6th by her daughter. She has expressed regret for not pushing harder that day to bolster security at the Capitol.
“I hold myself accountable for not preparing them better,” she remarked.
Her office defended her comments, clarifying that the Speaker is not directly responsible for security at the Capitol Complex.
On Tuesday, Trump also faced criticism from Pelosi for his remarks about the January 6 mob, particularly regarding those who attacked police officers.
“Some people died later as law enforcement was harmed—he wouldn’t send [the Guard],” she emphasized.
“He excused those individuals,” she remarked. “Yet, in a contradictory move, he sent the National Guard to California. Something is clearly amiss with this scenario.”
