Nancy Pelosi told a LindellTV reporter to "shut up" and "get away from me" on Capitol Hill after the journalist pressed her about the National Guard's absence during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, and then went further, declaring the reporter was not a real journalist because she works for "Mike the Pillow Man."
The confrontation, first reported by TheWrap, captured the former House Speaker refusing to engage with questions that have followed her for years. Rather than offer a substantive answer, Pelosi attacked the questioner's credentials, her employer, and her motives, a pattern that tells voters more about the former Speaker's comfort level with accountability than about the reporter standing in front of her.
LindellTV reporter Alison Steinberg approached Pelosi on Capitol Hill and asked about the delayed National Guard response on Jan. 6. Steinberg referenced a prior encounter:
"Last time I asked you about January 6, why you turned the National Guard away on January 6, you told me to shut up and that I was repeating Republican talking points."
Pelosi did not dispute that she had previously told Steinberg to shut up. She did it again.
"I'll tell you to shut up again, because you are speaking lies... No. I did not admit it. The president never agreed to send the National Guard. Don't waste your time or mine on you."
Then Pelosi pivoted from the substance of the question to the identity of the person asking it. "You know what, I don't even think you're a real journalist," she said. "You work for Mike the Pillow Man... That's not journalism. I don't have any reason to talk to you."
She added: "I want people to know you are not a real journalist. You work for Mike the Pillow Man, and all you do is spout untruths."
The exchange ended with Pelosi telling Steinberg, "Get away from me."
The substance behind Steinberg's questions is not new, and it does not belong exclusively to LindellTV. Fox News reported that House Republicans previously issued a report accusing Pelosi and other Democratic officials of inadequate preparation for potential violence on Jan. 6. The confrontation occurred after Steinberg asked whether a new GOP-led Jan. 6 committee could find Pelosi liable for Capitol security failures.
Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund has claimed he requested National Guard support before and during Jan. 6 but was denied by the sergeant-at-arms, a position that operates under the direction of the House speaker, as the Washington Examiner noted. Steinberg's questions referenced a new Jan. 6 subcommittee established by Speaker Mike Johnson to reexamine the events of that day and challenge narratives from the previous Pelosi-backed committee.
Pelosi's consistent response has been to deny refusing the National Guard and to blame then-President Trump for not sending it. "I did not refuse the National Guard. The president didn't send it," she has said in multiple encounters.
But that denial sits uneasily beside footage cited by House Republicans. The New York Post reported that Republicans have cited prior footage, surfaced by a June 2024 House Administration Subcommittee, in which Pelosi said she took responsibility for not having the National Guard better prepared before the Capitol breach. Her spokesperson has disputed claims that she controlled Capitol security directly.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk is leading the new Republican-led subcommittee revisiting the Jan. 6 Capitol breach and related security failures. The subcommittee's work keeps the question alive, and keeps Pelosi in the uncomfortable position of having to answer for it.
Pelosi's strategy in this exchange was not to address the substance. It was to disqualify the person asking. The former Speaker told Steinberg she was "not a real journalist" because she works for Mike Lindell's media outlet. She told her to "get away." She told bystanders that Steinberg "spouts untruths."
None of that answered the question about the National Guard.
Whether Alison Steinberg works for LindellTV, the New York Times, or a college newspaper, the question she asked is a matter of public record and congressional oversight. Pelosi's role in Capitol security on Jan. 6 has been the subject of official reports, subcommittee investigations, and testimony from the former Capitol Police chief. Dismissing the question because of who asked it is not a rebuttal. It is evasion.
Former U.S. attorney Joe diGenova, appearing on Newsmax, argued that Pelosi's reaction reflected frustration over renewed scrutiny. DiGenova told Newsmax: "This is what Nancy Pelosi always does. And now that she's not the speaker of the House or the majority leader, she strikes out because she knows she's wrong."
The pattern is familiar. Pelosi has lashed out at challengers to her political standing before, including in the fight over her own San Francisco congressional seat.
Breitbart reported that the exchange included Steinberg asking whether a new January 6 committee could find Pelosi liable for Capitol security failures. Pelosi denied refusing the National Guard and blamed the then-president for not sending it, the same formulation she has used repeatedly.
Steinberg also asked Pelosi why her daughter was filming her on the day of the Capitol breach. Pelosi did not address that question either.
LindellTV posted on X that "instead of addressing lingering questions about January 6th, the National Guard response, or her own behind-the-scenes role that day, Pelosi chose insults over accountability." Mike Lindell reshared the footage and, in characteristic fashion, promoted a MyPillow promo code: "Make Sure to Use Promo Code PELOSI for FREE SHIPPING on your ENTIRE ORDER at MyPillow.com!!"
A representative for Pelosi did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment.
Pelosi's political influence has been waning on multiple fronts. Her role in pushing to end Joe Biden's 2024 campaign left lasting rifts within the Democratic Party. The succession battle for her San Francisco seat has drawn national attention, with one high-profile challenger spending $10 million without winning a single precinct.
And yet the Jan. 6 security question remains. The Republican-led subcommittee under Loudermilk continues its work. The footage of Pelosi accepting responsibility for security preparations has not been retracted. Former Capitol Police Chief Sund's claims about denied National Guard requests have not been formally rebutted by Pelosi's office in a way that settles the matter.
Pelosi has also signaled she intends to remain a force in national Democratic politics. She has refused to rule out impeachment if Democrats reclaim the House, a posture that only invites more questions about her own record and judgment.
The former Speaker can call Alison Steinberg whatever she likes. She can dismiss LindellTV. She can tell reporters to shut up and get away from her. But the question about the National Guard on Jan. 6 did not originate with Mike Lindell, and it will not disappear because Pelosi refuses to engage with it.
Congressional subcommittees are examining the record. Testimony from the former Capitol Police chief is on file. Pelosi's own words, on camera, acknowledged responsibility for security shortcomings. The question is straightforward: What role did the Speaker of the House play in the security posture at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021?
Telling a reporter to shut up is not an answer. It is a tell.
