Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) set the record straight during a House hearing denouncing socialism after GOP Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) pressed her with pointed questions about its prevalence in the United States and tried to trick her into praising former president Donald Trump’s stance on socialism.
“We will not have a cradle to grave dependency. This country will not be all things to all people,” Langworthy said in the hearing. “We cannot create an expectation that government is all things to all people.”
Langworthy then proceeded to question the Democratic congresswoman, who was testifying as a witness in the hearing.
“Do you agree with Donald Trump’s statement in the 2019 State of the Union that America will never be a socialist country,” Langworthy asked Waters.
Waters wasted time in dismantling Langworthy’s line of questioning by first referencing the high level of debt spending that occurred during the Trump administration, then casting doubt on the validity of Langworthy and the Republican party’s stance against socialism.
“There are industries [Republicans] support, and now you think they are ripping people off,” said Waters.
Waters then asked Langworthy if he believed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a socialist initiative, citing the number of Republicans in Congress who took funds from the PPP program.
Langworthy argued that it was not a socialist initiative because it was done during “an extraordinary time when we shut down the government” and then repeated if Waters agreed with Trump’s 2019 State of the Union declaration about socialism.
“President Trump said a lot of things,” said Waters. “He said he thought Hitler did some good things. For those of you who continue to embrace Trump and all that he did and said — I reject all that. Trump has proven to be someone who is in line with dictators and admires them and claims to love them, so I reject any and everything Trump has to say.”
Waters then turned the tables on Langworthy as she questioned the GOP’s position on socialism once again.
“Sometimes you like socialism, sometimes you act like you don’t,” Waters said.
Langworthy, exasperated, ended up ceding his time.
“We’re talking about stuff you don’t want to talk about,” Waters said to end the discussion.
Watch the exchange below:
