Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said democratic socialist countries enjoy "much more trust in government" than the United States, arguing that government is "the great equalizer of opportunity" and that the right wing and "fascists" deliberately undermine public confidence in Washington to keep power.
Jayapal made the comments in an interview released Thursday on the It's Open with Ilana Glazer podcast, according to Breitbart News, which reported the remarks. The Washington Democrat, a member of the so-called "Squad," framed distrust of government as a weapon used by political opponents and billionaires.
"It is really important to the right wing, to the fascists, and all the people who want to control this country, and the billionaires, that people don't trust government," Jayapal said. "Because, back to the idea of socialism, the idea for people who are democratic socialists, who believe in socialism, the concept is that government is the great equalizer of opportunity. That's how I think about it. It's the biggest entity out there that can make sure that you have basic needs provided for."
She continued: "And that idea is very dangerous to people who want just a few very wealthy people to control everything, right? And so, the more they can undermine our faith in government, the more they can say government is corrupt, government is this, government is that, it's inefficient, it's et cetera, et cetera — the more effective they can be in having people not trust government."
Jayapal Points to Europe as the Model
The congresswoman then contrasted the American public's skepticism with attitudes she attributed to democratic socialist nations, which she said have delivered basic services for decades.
"That's been eroded over time, but those are socialist countries. They are democratic socialist countries. And in many of those places, there's so much more trust in government because government has provided a lot of the fundamentals for a long time," she said. "That's being eroded in part because of the role of the United States, frankly."
Jayapal's praise for socialist governance was circulated widely on X, where commentator Ezradulis summarized her comments in a post linking to the interview clip. The remarks track with her long record in Congress."
The interview lands one week before midterm Election Day, as Jayapal leads a letter signed by 175 House Democrats demanding the Trump administration halt a federal probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Fox News reported that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer were among the Democrats who declined to sign the letter, while several Democrats in competitive races also kept their distance.
The contrast Jayapal draws between European welfare states and the United States is one Republicans have been eager to litigate. GOP campaigns have spent the cycle arguing that Democratic proposals — from Medicare for All to Green New Deal spending — amount to importing the same model Jayapal is now advertising, at a cost borne by American taxpayers and workers.
It is not yet known whether Jayapal's office was asked to identify which countries she considers the model, or whether she was speaking about specific programs such as health care, child care or transit. Her office did not release a transcript of the interview.
What is clear: a sitting member of Congress from Seattle told a national audience that the American people's distrust of their own government is a problem engineered by political enemies — and that the fix is more government, not less.
Our Take
Patriots, read that quote twice. Pramila Jayapal isn't confused about what she's selling."
That's not an argument about policy. It's an argument against the very skepticism the Founders built this country around. Jayapal wants you to believe that trusting Washington more is the mature position, that Denmark or Sweden proves it, and that Americans who have watched the deep state target parents at school boards, spy on their own citizens, and treat the Constitution like a suggestion are simply the victims of a billionaires' mind game.
Here's the question Jayapal can't answer: if big government is such a gift, why is her party panicking one week before an election? Why did 175 Democrats rush to shield one of their own from a federal probe, and why did Pelosi, Hoyer and every swing-district Democrat run from that letter like it was on fire? Because they know what Jayapal just said out loud is exactly what Americans fear. That the Left doesn't want to fix government — it wants to be government.
Jayapal says distrust is manufactured. We say it was earned. And on November 3, voters get to return the verdict.
