Nancy Pelosi’s Sharp Critique of Trump Revealed in New Jan. 6 Footage: ‘A Domestic Enemy in the White House’

Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump have long been at odds, engaging in a political feud marked by frequent criticism from both sides. Now, newly revealed footage captures Pelosi’s intense reaction just hours after Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. In the video, filmed by her daughter Alexandra Pelosi, the former House Speaker refers to Trump as “a domestic enemy.”

The video shows Pelosi fully aware of the dire situation as she and her staff were evacuated. She can be heard discussing the importance of continuing the congressional proceedings despite the chaos, saying, “If they stopped the proceedings, they would have succeeded in stopping the validation of the president of the United States. If they stopped the proceedings, we would have totally failed.

And we’ve got to take some responsibility for not holding the security accountable for what could have happened. We have got to finish the proceedings.” Addressing Trump’s role in the day’s events, Pelosi stated, “I just feel sick about what he did to the Capitol and to the country today. He’s got to pay a price for that.”

As reported by HuffPost, another clip from later that day captures Pelosi stating, “We’ve taken an oath to protect our country from all enemies foreign and domestic. There’s a domestic enemy in the White House. And let’s not mince words about this.” The video also shows Pelosi taking responsibility for the day’s security lapses, questioning why the National Guard wasn’t deployed sooner.

“Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with? I take responsibility for not having them just prepare for more. It’s stupid that we should be in a situation like this,” she remarked. Republicans have frequently attempted to place blame on Pelosi for the security failures on January 6. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, a Georgia Republican leading the GOP’s investigation into the Capitol attack, criticized Pelosi’s role as Speaker, saying,

“For over three years, Nancy Pelosi has refused to take responsibility for her failure to secure the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Instead, she has pushed the focus of the failure on President Trump.” In a CBS News report, Pelosi acknowledged the shortcomings, stating, “We have responsibility. We did not have any accountability for what was going on there and we should have. This is ridiculous.”

Recently, at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Pelosi again warned of the dangers posed by Trump. As reported by The Hill, she declared, “Jan. 6 was a perilous moment for our democracy. Never before had a president of the United States so brazenly assaulted the bedrock of our democracy, so gleefully embraced political violence, so willfully betrayed his oath of office. Let us not forget who assaulted our democracy on Jan. 6. He did!” Pelosi also praised President Joe Biden for enacting some of the most impactful legislation in recent decades.