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Staffers recall Capitol insurrectionists hunting Nancy Pelosi: 'It haunts me'

Two of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s staffers, Alisa La and Kelsey Smith, appeared on a CNN special report Sunday, where they spoke about their experience during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, and the lasting effects it’s had. Specifically, they spoke about listening as the mob hunted their boss.

“Just the way he was chanting her name. It haunts me,” Smith said. “He was not going to be nice if he found her or someone associated with her.” “It could have been multiple men that were doing that too,” La added. “I mean, we don’t know.”

Smith is also haunted by the moment the rioters found the office in which they were hiding.

“So we’re hearing it from behind us, and in front of our door, so it was completely — the sound surrounded us to the point we’re just hearing the shouting and the yelling and the banging and the crashing and shattering of glass,” Smith said. “But then once they started banging on the door, that’s all I heard. That’s what I still think about, the door sound.”

But, as La pointed out, the insurrectionists failed to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the next president.

“We went back and did our job,” La said. “We fulfilled our constitutional duty, and they will never break us.”

Video transcript

KELSEY SMITH: Just the way he was chanting her name.

- Nancy.

KELSEY SMITH: It haunts me.

- Oh, Nancy.

KELSEY SMITH: He was not going to be nice if he found her or someone associated with her.

KYLIE MAR: Alisa La and Kelsey Smith, two of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's staffers, appeared on a CNN Special Report on the January 6 insurrection Sunday, where they spoke about hiding in an office as rioters overtook the Capitol.

KELSEY SMITH: The sound surrounded us to the point, we're just hearing the shouting and the yelling and the banging and the crashing and shattering of glass. But then once they started banging on the door, that's all I heard. That's what I still think about-- the door sound.

KYLIE MAR: And Smith remembered a brief conversation about what might happen if they were found.

KELSEY SMITH: One of us said to the other, "they take us hostage, right?" I said, "yeah." I think that was one of the few words I said out loud in the room. That was easily the worst day of my life. The worst two hours of my life, easily.

KYLIE MAR: But as law pointed out, the insurrectionists failed to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the President-elect.

ALISA LA: We went back and did our job. We fulfilled our constitutional duty, and they will never break us.

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