WASHINGTON — As rioters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, newly released footage from the committee investigating that day shows lawmakers evacuating to Ft. McNair about two miles away in Washington, D.C., and from there, trying to regain control of the Capitol building to protect the democracy it represents.
"I'm going to call the mayor of Washington, D.C. right now and see what other outreach she has," Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), is heard saying on the newly released video shot by her daughter Alexandra Pelosi who is a documentary filmmaker.
The video shows Speaker Pelosi and other lawmakers reaching out for help from D.C. Police, and the National Guards in both Maryland and Virginia.
"It's still sometimes too much for me," said Shane Smith about watching the video of January 6, 2021.
Smith served on Pelosi's staff as Special Assistant and Deputy Director of Operations. Thursday was his first look at the video of his former boss searching for help as rioters looked for her.
"My initial thought is thank God it was her," Smith said. "A true master class in what leadership in crisis looks like," Smith said.
"The through-line that you see through that video is it was all about finishing the job," Smith said. "Finishing the work, certifying the election, because that's what the American people were owed, but also what the survival of democracy was owed."
"I just think it's an important reminder at just how fragile the grand experiment of democracy is and still remains," he said.