Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has acknowledged her role in the National Guard not being prepared to respond to the January 6 Capitol riot. This revelation surfaces nearly 3.5 years after the riot, with Republicans contending that previously unseen footage undermines Democrats’ assertions that Trump bore sole responsibility for the security lapses on that day.

In a video captured by Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandria, as they were evacuating from the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the former speaker can be heard asking, “Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?” This statement has sparked further debate regarding the events leading up to and during the Capitol insurrection.

“They clearly didn’t know, and I take responsibility for not having them just prepared for more,” Pelosi remarked to her chief of staff, Terri McCullough. This acknowledgment underscores Pelosi’s recognition of the need for better preparation in handling the events surrounding the Capitol riot.

The video, which was released by Republicans leading the Committee on House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight on Monday, depicts Pelosi seated in the back of a car speeding through what appears to be a Capitol complex parking garage.

As the car swiftly navigates through the structure, a visibly frustrated Pelosi can be heard voicing concerns about the rapid escalation of the riot.

“This is ridiculous,” the exasperated Democrat tells her staffer in the footage. “You’re going to ask me in the middle of the thing when they’ve already breached the inaugural stuff ‘should we call the Capitol Police? I mean the National Guard.'”

According to findings from the now-disbanded January 6 select committee, Pelosi, along with Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, were escorted by security personnel to Fort McNair in southwest Washington, D.C., as the protest unfolded.

Representative Barry Loudermilk, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, criticized Pelosi’s previous involvement in the January 6 committee, stating, “Pelosi’s J6 Select Committee spent taxpayer’s money chasing false political narratives and using Hollywood producers for their ”˜investigation.’ Her admission of responsibility directly contradicts their own narrative.”

Earlier, the Democratic-led January 6th committee had sought to portray Trump as an instigator for delaying or impeding a National Guard response. However, as per video footage reviewed by Politico, Pelosi had attempted to coordinate a military response with then-Vice President Mike Pence, expressing disappointment that the Secretary of Defense took too long to approve the National Guard.

During the riot, Pelosi also questioned why Capitol Police had not adequately prepared for the potentially violent protest and emphasized the need for security officials to provide more insight into the potential risks on January 6.

Despite the emergence of the new video, it’s important to note that the National Guard is under joint oversight by the U.S. Army and Air Force, reporting ultimately to the President rather than the Speaker of the House. However, the Capitol Police do fall under the Speaker’s jurisdiction. Despite this, they denied requesting additional National Guard troops.

Critics of Pelosi argue that she bears responsibility for the miscommunication that led to the National Guard’s delayed response to the riot.

“For years – I testified under oath, in the media, and everywhere in between that Nancy Pelosi was responsible for not activating the National Guard on January 6 after President Trump constitutionally AUTHORIZED the guard – and provided the receipts,” former Trump advisor Kash Patel stated to DailyMail.com.

Patel has claimed that he has faced backlash for his assertion that Trump authorized the Guard to respond three days prior to the riot, on January 3.

He maintained that during a January 3 meeting, Trump gave his approval for defense officials to convey to Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that they were authorized to deploy the National Guard to the District and the U.S. Capitol building amid threats of violence that day.

Patel previously informed DailyMail.com that both the Capitol Police and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declined the offer for an armed National Guard presence.

He stated, “We deployed the DOD leadership to Bowser and Pelosi and to Capitol Police that day” to communicate that they were able to deploy the National Guard to aid in protecting the Capitol and District.

“But they said no,” Patel asserts.

“Now, footage from Pelosi herself on Jan 6 shows she blamed herself for not doing more,” Patel stated in a statement on Monday.

“The lie was peddled by most all in the media, and the American people were once again robbed of the truth for political expediency,” his statement continued.