This video has started a lot of drama on social media.
A video compilation depicting a conversation between then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-Vice President Mike Pence during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, has raised questions online about the authenticity of the exchange. Posted by user Robert The Builder on X (formerly Twitter), the video gained over 295,000 views by Sunday afternoon.
According to Newsweek, in the footage, Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer can be seen conversing with Pence around 6 p.m. on the day of the Capitol breach. The video implies that the dialogue was staged, contributing to speculation circulating on social media. The Capitol riot, initiated by supporters of former President Donald Trump, aimed to impede the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
As per the latest Department of Justice (DOJ) data, over 1,200 individuals have faced charges related to the insurrection, with more than 400 accused of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement. The DOJ’s Washington, D.C., office reported in early September that 623 individuals had been sentenced, and approximately 657 had pleaded guilty to federal charges.
The video includes a phone call snippet where Pence updates Pelosi and Schumer on the situation, stating, “I’m at the Capitol building. I’m literally standing with the Chief of Police, of the U.S. Capitol Police.” The compilation then raises suspicion by showing two seemingly similar recordings—one with Senator Chuck Grassley and one without—prompting social media users to suggest a conspiracy.
However, Aaron Bennett, a spokesperson for Pelosi, dismissed the conspiracy theories, emphasizing that independent fact-checkers had refuted claims that Pelosi orchestrated the events.
Notably, a longer exclusive CNN clip used in the compilation, originally aired on Anderson Cooper 360°, showed additional context. Alexandra Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, provided the video to CNN, and it was part of an HBO documentary titled “The Insurrectionist Next Door.” The longer video includes Grassley joining the conversation and hearing Pence’s updates on the Capitol situation.
A notable difference between the original CNN video and the shorter clip on X is that Pelosi’s audio was muted in the latter version, introducing a discrepancy in the presentation of the conversation.
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Check this out pic.twitter.com/v8NghKVmRe
— 🔨Robert The Builder 🇺🇸 (@NobodymrRobert) November 19, 2023