Transcript of Pelosi Interview on NBC's Nightly News with Lester Holt

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat down with Lester Holt on NBC's Nightly News to mark one year since the January 6th insurrection. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Lester Holt. Perhaps no one had a clearer view of the stakes that day than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who I spoke to today.

This morning, President Biden was here in the Capitol and he delivered a blistering take-down of his predecessor and also offered a vigorous defense of democracy. Given the environment we're in right now, where there are people still trying to delegitimize the investigation, diminish the extent of what happened here, do you wish that speech had come sooner than today?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, it came today, and it's what our country needed right now. And I'm very proud of the President's speech. It was forceful, truthful and a wake-up call to some in our country of how close we came to catastrophe for our democracy that day, in a way that was unprecedented.

Lester Holt. The way he went after Donald Trump, however, do you think that fuels a conversation among many Republicans that there is something political about the observances? Mitch McConnell today suggested that it's being used for political gain.

Speaker Pelosi. Well, that's for him to say. The fact is there was an assault on our democracy investigated by the then-President of the United States. An incitement of an insurrection on the Capitol, and that's just something that Mitch McConnell or anybody else cannot whitewash.

Lester Holt. I want you to take me into that day, if you will. We all remember you being quickly escorted off the podium. I have heard you talk about it before. You didn't want to go.

Speaker Pelosi. No.

Lester Holt. Do you think now, though, knowing what you know, do you think, what would have happened had you stayed?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, the security was very definite. And when they pulled me down from the podium, I said, ‘Don't worry about it.' They said, ‘No, you must go. You must go.' And, so, you don't even have a conversation. You want to do your job. They have to do their job. The visuals of what was happening outside the Capitol, now inside the Capitol. It breaks your heart. It breaks your heart. It's as if somebody in the White House dropped a bomb on the Congress of the United States.

Lester Holt. There were people in this Capitol that day who were viewing you as an enemy to be captured, to be humiliated. One of them said – was looking for you to, ‘Shoot her in the friggin' brain.' They desecrated your office. They left your staffers, you know, fearing for their lives. Have you found a way to put that in perspective, to reconcile it a year later?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, I've been one of their targets for a long time, and I have security to protect me. My concern was really for the other Members and for the staff. They can destroy things in the Speaker's office. That's wrong, but that can be repaired. But the trauma that they forced on the idealistic people who come to the Capitol to work, the institutional staffers that have nothing to do with Democrats and Republicans, only the Congress, those who had to clean up, clean up behind these people with their defecation of words and poo on the floor of the Capitol while they would be called names that are totally unacceptable.

Lester Holt. Speaker Pelosi taking me through the Capitol showing me where her staff was hiding.

Speaker Pelosi. The rioters, they banged down one of the doors. The staff was in there under the table in the dark. They couldn't speak for like three, almost three hours.

Lester Holt. And they were obviously hearing everything because it's taking place right here.

Speaker Pelosi. Oh, yes. ‘Where is she? We're coming to get her and all that stuff.' Maybe they thought I was in there. I don't know.

Lester Holt. Then, we go inside her office.

Speaker Pelosi. Where you saw them sitting at the desk and taking the mail and all that was here. You know, that's where that thug was sitting.

Lester Holt. What did you think when you saw that picture?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, it was a manifestation of Donald Trump, complete disrespect.

Lester Holt. I asked her about the lasting impact. What has been lost that you fear can't be regained?

Speaker Pelosi. I think everything can be regained. America is an optimistic country. The resilience of our democracy can withstand even the former President of the United States.

Lester Holt. And I asked about the House Committee investigating January 6th. It's composed of virtually all Democrats. Republicans pulling out after Pelosi rejected two of their selections, so she picked two Republicans, both fierce critics of former President Trump.

Many Republicans will say that the process was not fair, that there were Republicans who were rejected as potential Members of the committee.

Speaker Pelosi. No, no. They were not. Well, the Speaker has the right to make the appointments.

Lester Holt. But there were individuals they wanted on that Committee who were rejected.

Speaker Pelosi. And we said that most of them could come. Two we could not because they were suspect in terms of their involvement in January 6th. They can whine all they want, but they walked away from the opportunity to having their full complement of Members on the Committee.

Video Clip of Speaker Pelosi. Now, I ask all Members to rise for a moment of silence.

Lester Holt. You have been very vocal in the past about praying for your adversaries.

Speaker Pelosi. I always do, including as recently as this morning. I always pray for them that God – that they will open their hearts to God's blessings to do what is right.

But, I say to the Republicans, take back your party. This is not who you are. You're the Grand Old Party that's done so much for America, had great leadership for our country. This is a sad thing for the country that the Republican Party would have melted down to a cult.

Lester Holt. Part of my conversation with Speaker Pelosi today at the Capitol.