A viral clip of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi snapping at a conservative reporter over the National Guard has reignited debate about who bore responsibility for the slow response to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Pelosi Was Ambushed Outside The Capitol

The exchange took place outside the Capitol this week, when Alison Steinberg, a correspondent for LindellTV—a network founded by Trump ally Mike Lindell—approached Pelosi with a pointed question about her actions during the riot. “Are you at all concerned about the new January 6 committee finding you liable for that day? Why did you refuse the National Guard on January 6?” Steinberg asked. Pelosi didn’t hold back. “Shut up,” she replied sharply. “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’re a serious journalist?”

The Clip Has Gone Crazy Viral

The clip, which LindellTV quickly posted to X, has been viewed more than 1.5 million times. For Pelosi, who has been one of Donald Trump’s most visible and enduring political opponents, the confrontation underscores how the former president’s allies continue to revisit and rewrite the events of that day nearly five years later.

Evidence Of The National Guard Claim Doesn’t Exist

The claim that Pelosi refused a request to deploy the National Guard has been repeatedly debunked. There is no evidence that Trump ever offered such assistance, or that Pelosi had any authority to approve or reject it. Military officials have also testified that National Guard decisions were handled by the Pentagon and White House, not by congressional leadership. Still, the talking point has lingered in right-wing media circles, in part because of Trump’s own statements. He has repeatedly claimed that his offer of troops was rejected by Pelosi, casting her as the one who failed to secure the Capitol. Those claims have become a fixture of the narrative that seeks to absolve Trump of responsibility for the riot that left more than 140 officers injured and five people dead.

There’s Video Proof That Contradict’s Trump’s Claim

In footage captured by Pelosi’s daughter, documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, on January 6, the former speaker can be heard saying, “We’re calling the National Guard, now? It should’ve been here to start out. I just don’t understand it. Why do we empower people this way by not being ready?” That video, later provided to the House Administration Committee, appears to contradict any claim that Pelosi resisted the Guard’s deployment.

We’re Going To Be Arguing About This For A While

The renewed attention around the clip of her confrontation with Steinberg shows how January 6 remains an open wound in American politics — one still being litigated in public opinion even as the facts have been thoroughly documented. Pelosi’s brief, heated response may have been blunt, but it reflected the fatigue of a political figure who has spent years at the center of the country’s most divisive narratives.