Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Monday that she’s spearheading “resistance lab” trainings aimed at preparing Americans to fight what she claims could be a future dictatorship under President Donald Trump.

During the segment, Jayapal accused the Trump administration of potentially ignoring judicial decisions and framed her efforts as a grassroots shield against the collapse of democracy.

“It appears that the Trump administration is willing to ignore judicial decisions,” she claimed. “And so that brings us to you in this room. It brings us to the people — that is really, the bulwark, the wall against the crumbling of democracy.”

When Maddow pressed her on what these resistance labs actually involve, Jayapal said she’s drawing inspiration from movements abroad and preparing citizens to undermine support for Trump if he consolidates power.

“We really need to help Americans understand what happens when democracies fall, when dictators take over,” she said. “We’ve been pretty complacent in America… Now I think people need to understand the lessons from other countries.”

Jayapal claimed her team has studied democratic backsliding around the world and developed a curriculum to equip activists with strategies used by foreign resistance movements. The goal, she said, is not to go after Trump directly, but to weaken the “pillars of support” that allow him to maintain power.

“How do you shift allies from being sort of passive opponents to being active supporters of taking down a dictatorship?” she asked rhetorically.

The remarks, aired on national television, quickly drew outrage from conservatives, who see this as yet another example of the left turning disagreement with Trump into apocalyptic hysteria. Critics pointed out the irony of a sitting member of Congress accusing the sitting president of authoritarianism — while actively training activists to dismantle an elected administration.

Jayapal’s comments also come amid escalating left-wing rhetoric accusing Trump of threatening democracy, despite his lawful re-election and ongoing adherence to court rulings and constitutional procedures. The “resistance” language, some noted, sounds far more like the kind of subversion Democrats once warned against.

While Jayapal framed her efforts as civic education, the underlying message was unmistakably political — painting Trump as an existential threat that justifies preemptive mobilization. She did not provide specific evidence of dictatorship-like behavior by the current administration but insisted the warning signs were enough to justify action now.

As the 2028 race begins to take shape, and with Democrats struggling to coalesce around a post-Biden identity, Jayapal’s remarks may signal a broader shift on the left — one where political opposition to Trump is no longer about disagreement, but full-blown “resistance” operations.

For many Americans, though, the idea of elected officials hosting workshops to train citizens to “take down” an incoming or current president — especially one elected by tens of millions of voters — is a dangerous road to walk.