A news anchor on the Fox Business network has been widely mocked for warning about the dangers of socialism in Denmark, claiming it was a land where “no one wants to work”.

Trish Regan even compared the Scandinavian country to Venezuela, suggesting the people of both countries were victims of the same repressive economic system.

“Denmark – like Venezuela – has stripped people of their opportunities,” she said.

While many Danes have laughed off the dramatic claims on social media, some of Denmark’s top politicians felt the need to highlight a few facts about the rude economic health of their nation.

Ms Regan’s comments even prompted Denmark’s ambassador in Washington to invite the TV host to visit the northern European country to see Danish prosperity up close.

The Fox Business segment, which aired earlier this week, entitled “Something rotten in Denmark”, featured a series of claims about the Danish people’s dependence on the state.

Ms Regan attacked the lack of incentives to work because of generous education provision.

“Not only is school free, they actually pay you,” said the anchor. “You know what happens then? Nobody graduates from school. They just stay in school.”

“Because that’s the reality of socialism… Nowadays all the kids graduating from schools in Denmark, they want to start cupcake cafes.”

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Denmark’s Social Democrats decided to release a video response entitled “Something is rotten at Fox News”, picking apart Ms Regan’s claims about welfare, school and employment.

Representing the party, the former government minister Dan Jorgensen said: “Trish, you’re wrong. We have a welfare state in our country. This means our society provides opportunity for people. It doesn’t strip people of possibilities in their life.”

Danish finance minister Kristian Jensen said Ms Regan “should come to Denmark if you dare to be confronted with facts” and pointed out that Denmark was 11 places higher than the US in OECD rankings for employment rates.

Lars Gert Lose, Danish ambassador to the US, also took to Twitter to say he would “love to assist” Ms Regan on a trip to his homeland, but quipped she might find the lack of cupcake cafes “disappointing”.

Regan has since tried to clarify her remarks.

“I was never implying that conditions in Denmark were similar in any way to the current tragedy on the ground there in Venezuela,” she said.