According to a newly surfaced video clip, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) focused on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rejection of an offer to deploy thousands of National Guard soldiers ahead of a speech by then-President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, during Kash Patel’s confirmation hearings to become the next FBI director.
As noted by the site Legal Insurrection, during the riot that day at the U.S. Capitol Building, Patel was serving as chief of staff to then-acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller. In this role, Patel had direct access to and knowledge of the government’s security arrangements at the time.
At one point during Patel’s confirmation hearing, Cruz asked him what he was doing during the riot.
“On that day, specifically, responding to, preparing to mobilize and employ the National Guard once we got the lawful request from the local governing authority, which was the mayor of DC and the speaker of the House,” Patel responded.
“Now, how many days in advance were you working to prepare the Department of Defense to help secure the Capitol on January 6?” Cruz asked.
“Days in advance, Senator, we were in the Oval Office on an unrelated national security matter with the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and myself and the President authorized up to 20,000 plus National Guard men and women to secure any security measures necessarily related to the capital,” Patel said. “We were moving to the fullest extent of the law before the requisite request came from a local governing authority days ahead of time.”
“While you were chief of staff at DOD, how many times did DOD approach Capitol Police and ask if they needed National Guard assistance?” asked the Texas Republican.
Patel answered, “I believe those letters are well-documented. Numerous instances, and [on] numerous of those instances, those requests were shut down.”
“Now, am I correct that the Capital Sergeant at Arms said assistance was unnecessary?” Cruz asked.
“That’s correct, Senator.”
“Who did the Sergeant at Arms report to?” Cruz continued.
“The speaker of the House,” said Patel.
“That would have been Nancy Pelosi at the time. Is that correct?” Cruz asked.
“Yes, Senator.”
Cruz then asked if it would also include then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“The Sergeant at Arms, yes, Senator, reports up there,” Patel replied.
“Did Mayor [Muriel] Bowser, the Democrat elected mayor in DC, either request or allow National Guard assistance?” Cruz pressed.
Patel noted that Bowser had “put in writing on the days leading up to January 6th, a declination for National Guard additional support, and that letter is available publicly to the world.”
“Just to speak English for folks at home, a declination meant she said, no, don’t send National Guard. Is that right?”
“Yes sir,” Patel responded.
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Patel’s testimony is supported by the former chief of the U.S. Capitol Police and then-President Trump regarding Pelosi’s role in failing to secure the Capitol ahead of Jan. 6.
During testimony before a House committee, Steven Sund claimed that three days before the riot at the Capitol Building, U.S. House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving rejected Sund’s request to deploy hundreds of National Guard soldiers because Irving told him then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would “never go for it,” The Epoch Times reported in October 2023.
Sund’s comments came during testimony before the House Oversight Committee during a 90-minute hearing, the outlet added, his first before a House panel since he was forced to resign his post two days after the riot. Also, he was never called at all to testify before Pelosi’s hand-picked Jan. 6 Committee, the outlet added.
Sund said he was frustrated by the refusal of the offer of troops because their presence that day, he believes, would have been a “game-changer.”