The previous chief of the Capitol Police, who was in charge during the riot at the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, took to social media on Wednesday to criticize former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the former Democratic leader condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to assist in safeguarding federal buildings and personnel in Los Angeles.
Trump federalized up to 4,000 California National Guard troops, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an additional 700 U.S. Marines to the city, which was experiencing turmoil following riots triggered by the arrests of illegal migrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, many of whom had prior criminal convictions.
The riots that commenced last weekend persisted for several days, leading the president to intervene when it became clear that Democratic L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom were not acting swiftly enough to ensure the safety of ICE agents and other federal facilities.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Pelosi criticized Trump’s choice to deploy troops, mistakenly referencing the Constitution and neglecting to acknowledge that a Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson, had taken similar actions during the turbulent 1960s by activating Alabama National Guard troops to safeguard civil rights demonstrators.
However, it was Pelosi’s remarks regarding Trump in connection with the January 6 riot that provoked Steven Sund, who was the head of the Capitol Police at that time.
At one point during her press conference, Pelosi stated, “In a bipartisan manner, on January 6, with violence directed against the Constitution, against Congress, and against the United States Capitol, we implored the president of the United States to deploy the National Guard. He refused to do so.”
“Nevertheless, in a manner that contradicts the Constitution, he has deployed the National Guard to California. There is something fundamentally amiss in this scenario,” the former Speaker remarked.
Sund responded: “FACT: I initiated 11 urgent requests for National Guard assistance on January 6, commencing at 12:58 PM. The House Sergeant at Arms, who directly reports to Speaker Pelosi, withheld approval for 71 minutes. She is responsible for significant delays and is now attempting to shift the blame onto @realDonaldTrump for the failures she contributed to. The evidence is indisputable.”
WATCH:
According to the official timeline published by the National Guard two days following the Capitol breach on January 6, the account provided by former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund is accurate.
The Defense Department confirmed that, in response to a prior request, 340 Guardsmen were activated to support law enforcement with traffic and crowd control responsibilities on that day.
It is important to highlight that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was strongly against a significant National Guard presence on January 6, primarily due to her objections regarding President Trump’s decision to deploy the Guard during the George Floyd protests the previous summer.
“To clarify, the District of Columbia is not seeking additional federal law enforcement personnel and advises against any further deployment without immediate notification to, and consultation with, the [Metropolitan Police Department] if such plans are in progress,” she stated on X, accompanied by an image of a letter she sent to the secretary of the Army and the acting attorney general.
The Defense Department later indicated that Bowser altered her stance after her department and the Capitol Police were overwhelmed by rioters.
“D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested additional assistance. Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller promptly activated 1,100 members of the D.C. National Guard,” the department reported.
