Pelosi on whether she would’ve punched Trump on Jan. 6: He didn’t have ‘the courage to come to the Hill’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Tuesday that former President Trump didn’t have “the courage to come” to the Capitol during the Jan 6, 2021, insurrection after released footage showed Pelosi saying she would’ve punched Trump.

During an appearance on MSBNC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” host Andrea Mitchell mentioned to Pelosi the remarks she made during the Capitol riot of her confronting Trump for inciting his supporters to storm the building, asking the Speaker if she would’ve gone through with her words. 

“But you did say would’ve punched him out,” Mitchell told Pelosi. 

“I said I would have punched him out, I would’ve gone to jail and I would have been happy to do so,” Pelosi responded. 

“Would you have done it?” Mitchell asked Pelosi. 

“He wouldn’t have had the courage to come to the Hill. It’s all talk,” Pelosi responded, adding that the country’s democracy was at stake during the insurrection, which was inspired mostly by Trump’s attempt to nullify the 2020 election results. 

“So you have to recognize that they are undermining our democracy,” Pelosi said. “And if people think that … can be casual about that, they just don’t realize how serious the Republicans are about undermining our democracy.” 

CNN aired footage last week during a segment on “Anderson Cooper 360” of the House Speaker telling her staff that Trump should not come to the Capitol as she and her colleagues prepared to certify President Biden’s electoral college victory in the 2020 election. 

“If he comes, I’m gonna punch him out,” Pelosi told aides. “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.” 

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol held its final public hearing last week, where the panel voted unanimously to issue a subpoena to Trump and released footage of lawmakers’ reaction, including Pelosi, to the events unfolding at the Capitol.