Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund is directly challenging House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s account of January 6 security failures, claiming he requested National Guard assistance days before the riot but was repeatedly denied by officials under her authority.
The dispute centers on who bears responsibility for the delayed deployment of federal troops during the Capitol breach nearly four years ago.
In a pointed social media post, Sund accused Pelosi of dishonesty regarding the timeline of Guard requests:
Ma’am, it is long past time to be honest with the American people. On January 3, I requested National Guard assistance, but your Sergeant at Arms denied it. Under federal law (2 U.S.C. §1970), I was prohibited from calling them in without specific approval. That same day, Carol… https://t.co/3GLihtK7ul
— Chief Steven Sund (@ChiefSund) August 11, 2025
“On January 3, I requested National Guard assistance, but your Sergeant at Arms denied it… On January 6… your Sergeant at Arms again denied my urgent requests for over 70 agonizing minutes, ‘running it up the chain’ for your approval,” Sund wrote on X. He added, “Ma’am, it is long past time to be honest with the American people.”
The former police chief said federal law required Speaker-controlled approval, preventing him from accepting Pentagon offers of Guard support on January 3 without proper authorization.
The timing dispute has gained fresh attention following footage from an HBO documentary where Pelosi appeared to accept blame for security lapses.
House Republicans highlighted the footage, arguing it contradicts her previous statements about where responsibility lay. In the video, Pelosi said simply: “I take responsibility.”
Congressional hearings have documented significant confusion over Guard deployment procedures that day.
House records show a 3-hour and 19-minute delay, with conflicting accounts between Defense Department officials and National Guard leadership about when deployment orders were actually issued. “There appears to have been a significant delay at the Department of Defense in either deploying the National Guard or communicating the order of deployment,” noted Rep. Barry Loudermilk.
Still, Pelosi has maintained that ultimate responsibility rested with the Trump administration.
In recently released January 6 video footage aired by CNN, she questioned why Guard units weren’t pre-positioned while stating: “The National Guard was the responsibility of the Trump administration to call.” She also acknowledged sharing oversight responsibilities with other congressional leaders.