Nancy Pelosi sparked controversy today following a confrontation with a journalist outside the U.S. Capitol. As she navigated steps with the help of an aide, Pelosi turned sharply and told a reporter demanding answers about January 6, “Shut up.”
Video footage shows Pelosi holding onto an aide’s hand for balance while moving away from the reporter’s questions. When pressed on whether she “refused the National Guard” on January 6, Pelosi lunged back, decrying the question as baseless and accusing the reporter of echoing Republican talking points.
During the exchange, Pelosi declared that she did not refuse the deployment, stating, “The president didn’t send it,” and chastised the reporter’s framing of the line of questioning.
The incident comes just as a new Republican-led committee has revived scrutiny over the Capitol security breakdown, and as critics sharpen their focus on Pelosi’s role in the events of 2021.