Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly lashed out at a conservative reporter on Wednesday, telling her to “shut up” after being questioned about her actions during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The tense exchange unfolded as Pelosi was leaving the Capitol, when Alison Steinberg, a reporter for LindellTV — a network founded by Trump ally Mike Lindell — repeatedly pressed the California Democrat on long-standing claims about her role in the security failures that day.
“Are you at all concerned about the new January 6th committee finding you liable for that day?” Steinberg asked. “Why did you refuse the National Guard on January 6th?”
Pelosi, flanked by aides, stopped and turned to respond. “Shut up,” she said sharply. “I did not refuse the National Guard. The president didn’t send it.”
As the exchange continued, Pelosi accused Steinberg of pushing partisan narratives. “Why are you coming here with Republican talking points as if you’re a serious journalist?” she asked.
Steinberg replied, “The American people want to know. We still have questions. Thank you.”
The encounter highlighted the deep partisan divide that still surrounds the events of January 6, nearly five years later. Trump and his supporters have long claimed that the president “recommended” the deployment of troops, but that Pelosi and congressional leaders blocked the request. Critics argue that the Speaker’s office had failed to ensure adequate security, despite intelligence warnings about possible unrest.
Pelosi and her defenders reject that narrative, pointing out that the Speaker of the House does not have authority over National Guard deployments. “The president didn’t send it,” Pelosi said on Wednesday, reiterating that it was the executive branch’s responsibility to approve the use of military support.
A congressional investigation later found that Trump did not issue an order or formal request for troops on January 6. Former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller testified under oath that he received no such directive from the president.
Still, footage from that day showed Pelosi and then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a secure location frantically calling members of Trump’s Cabinet and state governors to request National Guard support as rioters breached the Capitol.
The exchange with Steinberg underscores how January 6 remains a flashpoint in American politics — not only as a legal and historical question but also as a test of accountability for leaders in both parties.
For conservatives, lingering doubts about the security breakdown continue to fuel frustration over what they view as selective investigations that focus on Trump while shielding senior Democrats from scrutiny. Pelosi’s curt dismissal of a question from a right-leaning reporter may reinforce that perception among her critics.
While liberal leaning congressional investigations have largely cleared Pelosi of direct responsibility for the security failures, her brief but combative retort — “Shut up” — reflected the ongoing bitterness of an unresolved national argument that shows no sign of fading.
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