Nancy Pelosi faced sharp criticism this week after comments she made about Donald Trump’s new federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C. The former House Speaker accused Trump of hypocrisy, claiming he delayed the National Guard’s deployment during the January 6 Capitol riot but is now using it for political theater. Trump’s move, which temporarily places the D.C. Metropolitan Police under federal control and activates the National Guard to address violent crime, reignited old debates about leadership failures during the 2021 attack.
Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned after the riot, publicly fired back at Pelosi, accusing her of rewriting history. In a pointed statement, he said he had requested National Guard support on January 3, 2021 — days before the riot — but was denied by Pelosi’s own Sergeant at Arms. Sund explained that under federal law he lacked authority to independently call in the Guard, and that multiple appeals during the chaos on January 6 were delayed for over an hour while his requests were “run up the chain.”
Sund further accused Pelosi of hypocrisy, saying she later authorized thousands of Guard troops and fencing around the Capitol when it suited her politically. The former chief’s remarks echoed a long-running dispute over who bore responsibility for security failures that day. Meanwhile, resurfaced HBO documentary footage showed Pelosi telling aides she wanted Trump to come to the Capitol so she could “punch him out” — a moment critics say undermines her moral high ground.
Trump, undeterred by the renewed controversy, dubbed his new initiative “liberation day” for Washington, promising to “rid the city of violent gangs and maniacs.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Guard troops will soon arrive as reinforcements for federal and local police. While Trump’s supporters praise the move as decisive, Pelosi’s clash with Sund has reopened uncomfortable questions about accountability, command, and the lingering political scars of January 6.
