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Past Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, made an attempt to criticize Donald Trump regarding what she referred to as ‘a cognitive disorder’. However, in her oral commentary, she mistakenly referred Donald Trump as the current White House resident. During the conversation, Maddow inquired about her views on Trump’s supposed confusion and errors, to which Pelosi deflected.
In Pelosi’s words, she wasn’t interested in delving into what she considered Donald Trump’s cognitive troubles. Ironically, she herself made an intellectual slip mid-discussion. She contended that Trump unjustly accused Nikki Haley of preventing the National Guard’s arrival when she alleged it was actually a blunder from Trump himself.
Pelosi proceeded with her dialogue by countering the claims made by Trump. Asserting that she, along with Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, had dedicated hours urgent for the National Guard’s presence. She further clarified that neither she nor her colleagues had the power to summon the National Guard. Interestingly, this power lies with the president of the nation and in certain states, it’s the governor.
She expressed a higher concern for unnecessary accusations and never-ending falsifications presented by Trump. However, Pelosi asserted again on the importance of not dedicating lot of time focusing on him. A curious stance, considering the weight of the events being discussed.
While trying to say Donald Trump has “cognitive disorders”, Nancy Pelosi confused Trump with Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/xTDVlllEbJ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 24, 2024
Trump, on the other hand, had been consistent in his claim that as the Commander in Chief, he had offered to deploy the D.C. National Guard to the Capitol. However, he was rejected by Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, whose role includes the security of Congress. This gesture from Pelosi, rejecting his offer, shows a different perspective than what Pelosi claims publicly.
Further corroborative evidence is seen from the testimony of the former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund. Sund disclosed to Congress in a November hearing that three days prior to the incident in question, then-House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving rejected his request to deploy additional National Guard soldiers. According to Sund, Irving feared that Pelosi would ‘never approve’ this supported course of action.
Sund revealed the details of this series of events during a hearing which lasted approximately an hour and a half. His argument revolved around how the refusal of additional National Guard personnel dramatically changed the outcome of events on the day in question.
Adding to Sund’s testimony, he recounted his interactions with Irving and Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger in early January. These discussions surrounded his request for National Guard soldiers to improve the Capitol’s security. Given that both Irving and Stenger composed two-thirds of the Capitol Police Board (overseeing the U.S. Capitol Police), they were required to greenlight such requests.
Sund detailed how he asked Irving for the National Guard’s assistance on the grounds in early Jan. Sund was, however, immediately hit with a reluctant response from Irving, citing issues with the ‘optics’ and a lack of supportive intelligence for such a measure.
After Sund’s conversation with Irving, Irving then advised Sund to discuss the matter with Stenger. A couple of hours later, the police chief had another conversation to discuss the same. Stenger then suggested that Sund contact the Pentagon to assess the readiness of the Guard personnel.
Relaying further details from his recollection, Sund testified that Stenger had quick responses regarding communication with the Pentagon. Sund was advised to contact General William Walker, who noted the availability of manpower that could be redirected swiftly upon approval and deployment.
In his recount, Sund mentioned how the swift response from Stenger struck him as odd. Apparently, Irving had phoned Stenger beforehand, informing him about Sund’s request for the National Guard and that they would need to initiate a different course of action, as Pelosi ‘would never approve’.
Stunned by this revelation, Sund shared his reaction with House lawmakers, expressing his shock at the chain of events that unfolded prior to the incident in question. He found himself perplexed at the resistance towards his calls for the National Guard’s assistance.
Article: Real News Now
