Fact Check: Was Nancy Pelosi's Son-in-Law Seen With QAnon Shaman on Jan 6?

The January 6 riots have made headlines again after Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently described the attack, based on footage released to the broadcaster, as "mostly peaceful chaos", despite multiple violent scenes caught elsewhere on film.

Multiple members of Congress, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, were filmed taking shelter elsewhere in the Capitol, co-ordinating the security response as rioters took over the building.

Amid the renewed focus surrounding that day, a number of social media users have claimed that not only was one of Pelosi's relatives among the crowd but that he met its arguably most infamous participant, the so-called QAnon Shaman.

The Claim

Multiple tweets posted between March 7-9, 2023, claimed that Nancy Pelosi's son-in-law was pictured alongside Jacob Chansley, otherwise known as the QAnon Shaman, on January 6, 2021.

One tweet by user @ForgiatoBlow47, posted on March 8, 2023, which has been viewed more than 131,000 times, said: "Odd that Nancy Pelosi's son in law had the opportunity for a photo op with the Qanon Shaman isn't it?"

The Facts

Nancy Pelosi has long been a target of criticism, typically among conservatives, for events surrounding January 6 and the response of the U.S. Capitol.

In a recent broadcast, Fox News host Tucker Carlson made allegations that Pelosi was ultimately in charge of the Capitol Police on the day, stating, "If there was a security failure on January 6, and demonstrably there was, it was probably Nancy Pelosi's fault."

Carlson also broadcast footage earlier this week of Chansley, dressed as what was subsequently dubbed the "QAnon Shaman", walking through the corridors of the Capitol, accompanied by police.

Chansley, whose appearance that day endured as an icon of the riots, was sentenced to more than three years in prison for his involvement.

So why was the QAnon Shaman with Nancy Pelosi's son-in-law outside the Capitol?

It is true that Michiel Vos, who is married to Nancy Pelosi's daughter Alexandra, was at the Capitol on January 6.

The Associated Press reported in 2021 that Vos was photographed with Chansley as he covered the riots at the U.S. Capitol; the photo was said to have been used during a broadcast on Dutch television channel RTL 4, although this is no longer online.

Newsweek has contacted RTL 4 to confirm that the photo was used in the broadcast.

There is no other evidence beyond this photo that suggests there was any involvement by the Pelosi family to help orchestrate the events of January 6, as some of the posts on social media suggest.

The most recent claims by Tucker Carlson about January 6 have been criticized by a number of senior Republicans.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) were among a sizable list of GOP politicians who called out Carlson's recent description of the attack as "mostly peaceful chaos."

Newsweek has reached out to Nancy Pelosi for comment.

The Ruling

True.

Nancy Pelosi's son-in-law, Michiel Vos, was at the Capitol on January 6, covering the event for a Dutch news program as a U.S. correspondent.

The photo is not evidence of any type of plot between the Pelosis and the crowd on January 6.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team