A key moderate Democrat cautions that his party is heading the “wrong” way on trade.
The Democrat representative for Maine, Jared Golden, was one of the few Democrats to express some hope in response to President Donald Trump’s support for tariffs, particularly his proposal to impose a 10% baseline levy on all U.S. imports.
In an interview on Thursday, Golden mentioned that he proposed legislation for a 10% universal tariff earlier this year and during the last Congress.
Regarding his stance on tariffs, which has been received by fellow House Democrats, Golden stated, “Well, I think that they are moving in the wrong direction when it comes to trade.” “I think it’s been a knee-jerk reaction to the president.”
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Golden said he joined the Democratic Party in his “formative years” and “the party that was warning about things like the World Trade Organization or [the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)].”
He further stated, “It has kind of, I think, had a sudden movement in the opposite direction, and that’s unfortunate.” “You’ve got to look beyond, you know, who the president is… to ask themselves what would be good for rural communities or working-class people, or cities like Detroit, whatever it may be—those who have been hit hardest by the existing trade regime.”
Adding that, “I think that this debate has been brewing since the ’90s, so it’s not only about Trump.”
On issues such as border security, trade, and most notably, former President Joe Biden’s initiatives to alleviate student loan debt, Golden has been known to diverge from his own party.
In 2024, he won his seat in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District by less than 1% when Trump won the district by 10%.
On Wednesday, he said he was pleased Trump’s tariff plan fell in line with his own ideas for a universal tax on foreign goods.
He said, “I’m eager to work with the president to fix the broken ‘free trade’ system that made multinational corporations rich but ruined manufacturing communities across the country. But tariffs must be paired with policies that prioritize American families’ prosperity.”
However, he noted that, However, he noted that Trump “introduced a number of new tariff policies” in addition to the 10% uniform tax and that he would want more time to thoroughly examine the policies before providing any commentary.
Trump’s proposal calls for reciprocal tariffs of up to almost 50% on both allies and adversaries, in addition to a 10% blanket tariff on all imports into the United States.
Golden further stated, “We need to make sure that the new approach benefits working people — that means supporting unions, the trades and apprenticeship programs; cutting regulations that hold back production; unleashing American energy; and using tariff revenue to support domestic manufacturers that create good-paying jobs for Americans.”
“Tariffs are a first step in rewriting a rigged trade system, but they cannot be the last one.”
