Jayapal jokes about being “Princess Pramila” and not meeting President Trump.
Who says politicians need to be all grim and business-like all the time? Indian American Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) proved on the Late Night Show with Seth Meyers last night that politicians can have a funny bone, display a sharp wit and still deliver powerful messages at the same time.
Jayapal made an appearance on NBC’s Late Night Show with Seth Meyers on Thursday night. The show has featured some of the most important VIPs and A-listers and it was Rep Jayapal’s turn to be on the coveted couch, which she graced with great elan and a whole lot of nonchalant attitude.
Dressed in a sharp teal dress, the congresswoman seemed to own the show from the moment she started talking. Meyers talked about Jayapal coming to the US when she was just 16-years-old all by herself.
Recalling her college days at the Georgetown University, Jayapal talked about being a young girl in a totally new country and how she hadn’t ever seen snow and hated to wear socks coming from warmer climes.
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But what took the cake was Jayapal’s narration of a funny incident from her college days. “I had a picture of the Taj Mahal on my wall of my dorm as I was homesick and bought a picture of Taj Mahal with India written on the bottom,” She told Meyers.
But what Jayapal told next left both Meyers and the audience in splits. She related that some friends from university mistook the picture to be Jayapal’s home back in India. And when they asked her, she further took them for a ride by saying that it was actually her servant’s quarter. Stumped, her friends asked her if she was a princess, to which the Jayapal replied in the affirmative and pretended to be somewhat embarrassed of the title.
But Jayapal’s razor sharp wit did not end here.
On being asked by the host if she has ever met President Trump, she stumped everyone by her brazen reply: “I really have tried not to!” “Good idea,” replied Meyers.
On who would she be endorsing for the 2020 presidential elections, Jayapal replied that she would be taking some time to decide but would want someone who is bold and not afraid to take on the inequality.
She also spoke about her Medicare for All bill. She said that 70 percent of Americans want a single payer health care system.
On having immigrants like herself in the Congress, the congresswoman said there are 14 immigrant members of Congress out of 535.
Speaking about her personal experience — it took her 19 years to get her citizenship — Jayapal said she understands how immigrants are often the scapegoats.
The congresswoman also said that women of color in the current Congress are a close-knit group, always having each-other’s back and sharing everything from making soups to sipping wines and attending each-other’s press conferences.