Jan. 6 Footage of Pelosi Speaking With Pence Sparks Conspiracy Theory

A compilation video of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a phone call with then-Vice President Mike Pence during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot has sparked a conspiracy theory online that the conversation was "staged."

The video, which has over 295,000 views as of Sunday afternoon, was posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday by user Robert The Builder. In the first clip, Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, are seen talking with Pence at around 6 p.m. on January 6—the day when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington D.C. to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Trump had claimed, without any evidence, that the election was stolen from him via widespread voter fraud.

More than 1,200 people have been charged involving the insurrection, according to the latest data from the Department of Justice (DOJ), including more than 400 accused of assaulting or impeding law enforcement, which is a felony. The DOJ's Washington, D.C., office said in early September that 623 people had been sentenced, though not all had been given jail time, while about 657 had pleaded guilty to federal charges, "many of whom faced or will face incarceration at sentencing."

In the phone call with Pelosi and Schumer, Pence said: "I'm at the Capitol building. I'm literally standing with the Chief of Police, of the U.S. Capitol Police." The video then cuts out. "They believe that the House and the Senate will be able to reconvene in roughly an hour," Pence is then heard saying.

The next clip shows Pelosi and Schumer on the same day, but this time Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, is standing with them as they talk to Pence. This part of the video was a CNN exclusive and had roughly the same dialogue as the first video.

At the end of the video compilation, the following words appeared: "Exact same recording. Two different shots. One with Grassley—one without Grassley."

People on social media were then quick to point to a conspiracy after viewing the video.

"The whole damn thing was staged, filmed, and orchestrated by Pelosi," X user Just Greg wrote.

X user Chuck Callesto called the video "damming," while user Christina Olnick asked: "Pelosi and Schumer's mannerisms are different as well. They aren't talking to Pence, just listening. Both takes coul[d] be staged. By who? CNN? Pelosi?"

Aaron Bennett, a spokesperson for Pelosi, told Newsweek via email on Sunday: "These incoherent conspiracy theories are nonsense. As numerous independent fact-checkers have repeatedly proven, Speaker Pelosi did not plan her own assassination."

Newsweek reached out to Schumer and Grassley via email for comment.

Meanwhile, others dismissed the idea that the two recordings were the same.

X user John Silks wrote: "Careful. Just because there are 2 videos with people wearing masks listening to the same phone audio doesn't mean the audio is original on both."

"So Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer received information from Mike Pence and wanted to have Chuck Grassley, the highest ranking GOP official in the room, receive the same info," X user Arthur Casey said. "Unless you think Democrats opened up some kind of space-time portal, you're always pushing conspiracies."

The clip from CNN used in the compilation was from a longer exclusive shown on Anderson Cooper 360°. The video was posted to YouTube on October 13, 2022, and given to CNN by Alexandra Pelosi, the daughter of Nancy Pelosi who made an HBO documentary about January 6 titled, The Insurrectionist Next Door.

The video starts with Pence telling Pelosi and Schumer: "I'm at the Capital building. I'm literally standing with the Chief of Police, of the U.S. Capitol Police, Steven Sund. He just informed me what you will hear through official channels. Paul Irving, your Sergeant-at-Arms, will inform you that their best information is that they believe that the House and the Senate will be able to reconvene in roughly an hour."

While on the phone with Pence, Grassley walks into the room. Grassley then comes up to the phone to hear what Pence has to say. Pence later repeats: "I was very pleased to hear from the chief. He came over, he joined me here in the basement of the Capitol to inform me they think you'll be able to reconvene the Senate and Madame Speaker you'll be able to reconvene the House in roughly an hour."

One clear discrepancy in the original CNN video posted to YouTube and the short clip posted to X was that Pelosi was muted in the latter one.