The White House unloaded on Rep. Pramila Jayapal after the Washington Democrat admitted she had talks with foreign diplomats about getting oil into Cuba despite escalating U.S. sanctions on the communist regime.
The comments triggered immediate backlash from Republicans, with some demanding ethics investigations and others openly questioning whether Jayapal crossed legal lines by attempting to undermine U.S. policy.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales blasted Jayapal after clips of her remarks spread online.
“The Democrats continue to show Americans who they really are – the America Last party who sip margaritas with terrorists, advocate for illegal alien criminals, and undermine the United States to aid a failed, communist regime,” Wales stated.
“Pramila Jayapal’s actions are shameful from a sitting Congresswoman clearly suffering from [Trump Derangement Syndrome],” she added.
The controversy kicked off after Jayapal described conversations she had with ambassadors from other countries while visiting Cuba as part of a congressional delegation.
“As many of you know, I traveled to Cuba as part of a congressional delegation last month,” Jayapal said during remarks in Seattle.
“It is part of my role to see how U.S. foreign policy is actually affecting the people in the countries where that policy is being implemented,” she continued.
🪖Discover what it takes to turn defeat into victory in this FREE eBook on history’s “savior generals” 🪖 Learn how exceptional leadership can change the course of war!➡️➡️➡️ Download your FREE copy NOW!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Jayapal said the island is facing what she described as a humanitarian catastrophe because of U.S. sanctions.
She pointed to fuel shortages while criticizing the Trump administration’s embargo policies.
“Since January, only one Russian tanker of oil has made it to Cuba,” Jayapal said. “One tanker has enough oil, basically for 10 to 14 days of Cuba’s oil needs.”
She called conditions on the island a “crisis beyond imagination.”
Jayapal then described discussions she had with foreign officials about getting fuel shipments into the country.
“I was in conversations with the ambassadors from Mexico and some other places … trying to figure out how to get oil there,” she said.
The remarks immediately fueled accusations that she was attempting to work around U.S. sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump.
The administration has tightened restrictions on Cuba following the January capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro during a dramatic military operation.
Trump later declared that “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA.”
Last week, the president signed an executive order expanding sanctions against foreign banks, firms and individuals accused of helping prop up the Cuban regime.
Jayapal criticized the move during her press conference. “Just this past Friday, on May 1st, Trump signed a broad executive order that widens sanctions and allows for new penalties similar to what we have for Iran and Russia, against foreign banks and firms that are dealing with Cuba,” she said.
“It also reinforces the ban on U.S. tourism. I have called these sanctions an economic bombing of the infrastructure of Cuba.”
Republicans responded furiously after the comments circulated online. Sen. Rick Scott accused Jayapal of openly working against American interests.
“DISTURBING: @RepJeffries and @HouseDemocrats, members of your party are OPENLY admitting to aiding a communist adversary in coordination with foreign countries to VIOLATE American sanctions,” Scott wrote on X.
“@POTUS put those sanctions in place to keep Americans SAFE and to hold the Castro/Díaz-Canel regime accountable for their crimes,” he added.
Florida Sen. Ashley Moody also demanded a probe of the congressional trip and questioned whether lawmakers had improperly used taxpayer resources.
Moody later appeared on Fox Business and suggested Jayapal’s conduct could potentially carry legal consequences.
“Treason is outlined right there in our Constitution. You can’t give aid or comfort to enemies,” Moody said.
“Now I don’t know that — it hasn’t been used very often in our nation’s history, but — and there may be other federal statutes that apply here — but this is astounding,” she continued.
Moody also accused progressive Democrats of embracing communist ideology.
“This new progressive caucus, which are basically communists, look at what they’re espousing around the nation,” she said.
“They’re traveling around the world, meeting with cartel members, going to communist nations. It is unbelievable what has become of this Democratic Party.”
She later predicted ethics complaints would likely follow. “The fact that she went and met with a communist nation and tried to work against the policy of the United States, at the very least, not to mention an investigation possibly criminally,” Moody remarked.
Jayapal pushed back after the criticism exploded across social media.
“Breaking news: Members of Congress meet with ambassadors of other countries every day. That’s literally our right and responsibility,” she wrote sarcastically.
Breaking news: Members of Congress meet with ambassadors of other countries every day. That’s literally our right and responsibility. pic.twitter.com/zZgDdIk5zs
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) May 6, 2026
Jayapal has not been charged or accused of wrongdoing by federal investigators.
Still, the controversy intensified as Secretary of State Marco Rubio rolled out another wave of sanctions targeting Cuba’s military-linked economic structure.
Rubio announced sanctions Thursday against Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., or GAESA, which the State Department described as the financial backbone of Cuba’s communist government.
Rubio accused the organization of funneling billions while ordinary Cubans struggle with food shortages, failing infrastructure and economic collapse.
“While the Cuban people suffer from hunger, disease and chronic under-investment in critical infrastructure such as its power grid, much of the proceeds of GAESA’s activities are funneled away to hidden overseas bank accounts,” Rubio said.
The administration also sanctioned GAESA executive Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera and targeted Moa Nickel SA, a company operating within Cuba’s mining sector.
The move followed Trump’s executive order expanding penalties against individuals and businesses accused of supporting the Cuban government.
According to the White House, the order is aimed at “countering Cuba’s malign influence.”
Lock that COMMIE up
Decertify and dissolve the democrat communist party of America persuent to the
Anti-Communist Act of 1954. Everything the DCPA stands for is the opposite of what the U.S. Constitution states. The DCPA is basically a domestic terrorist political action organization. As such it has no right or authority to exist.
Everything in this news article confirms what I came to realize years ago. The Democratic Party has morphed into communism ideology, and many of their members are undermining this administration on a daily basis. The Democratic Party must be defeated at the voting polls otherwize our country will cease to exist.