House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was apparently prepared to greet then-President Donald Trump with a cold reception if he traveled to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
A video filmed by the California Democrat’s daughter, filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, documented reaction from inside the Capitol before and during the riot.
One moment that was featured during a hearing of the House Committee investigating the riot shows how the House speaker reacted to the news Trump would not be coming to the Capitol.
Terri McCollough, chief of staff for the House speaker, is seen saying, “Secret Service says they have dissuaded [Trump] from coming to Capitol Hill.”
“They told him they don’t have the resources to protect him here. So at the moment he is not coming. But that could change,” she added.
Nancy Pelosi responded, “I hope he comes. I’m gonna punch him out!”
“This is my moment. I’ve been waiting for this… for trespassing on the Capitol grounds. I’m gonna punch him out and I’m gonna go to jail and I’m gonna be happy,” she declared.
Watch the moment below:
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1580759820306505728
Cornell Law School notes an assault on a president carries the punishment of a fine or imprisonment for up to 10 years or both.
During a speech before the riot, Trump told his supporters, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them, because you’ll never take back our country with weakness.”
“You have to show strength, and you have to be strong,” he added.
At a separate point, he said, “After this, we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you. … We are going to the Capitol, and we are going to try and give — the Democrats are hopeless.”
“Because the strong ones don’t need any of our help, we’re going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country,” he insisted.
Despite his comments, Trump did not wind up traveling to the Capitol.
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson delivered testimony before the House committee investigating the riot earlier this year. During her testimony, she shared a story detailing how infuriated Trump reportedly was about not going to the Capitol.
He denied the account and called Hutchinson a “phony.”