The moderate Democrat has expressed cautious optimism about President Donald Trump's stance on tariffs, with a harsh departure from most of his party's enraged reactions.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, pointed out in a lengthy statement that he himself proposed a comprehensive 10% tariff on US imports earlier this year, saying Trump's baseline policy was the same.
“All I can say now is that I'm happy to be building his tariff agenda on the basis of a universal 10% tariff, like the one proposed by the President in the US law that was built. This ring fence around the American economy is a good start to erase our unsustainable trade deficit,” Golden said.
“I want to work with the President to fix the broken “free trade” system across the country, a manufacturing community that has enriched but ruined multinationals. However, tariffs need to be combined with policies that prioritize the prosperity of American families. ”
Treasury Secretary Bescent tells the state not to retaliate after clearing out the “liberation date” tariffs
Democrat Jared Golden shared cautious optimism about President Trump's tariff policies. (Getty Images)
However, he noted that Trump “introduced many new tariff policies” along with a universal 10% tax, and that he needs time to review the policy in detail before he places more emphasis on them.
Golden also said tariffs must be “combined with policies that prioritize the prosperity of American families.”
“We need to make sure that the new approach will help those working. It means supporting unions, trade and apprenticeship programs, reducing regulations that will reduce production, unlocking American energy, and using tariff revenue to create good-salary jobs for Americans,” he said.
“Taxes are the first step to rewrite the equipped trading system, but they cannot become the final trading system.”
While far from a complete embrace of Trump's tariff plans, Golden's comments are more optimistic than those of his fellow Democrats.
France asks us to be “cooperative” instead of “conflict” following Trump's “liberation day” tariffs
Trump will make mutual tariff comments at an event at the White House Rose Garden on April 2, 2025. (Getty Images)
“I've always said that when used strategically, tariffs are an important tool,” D-Mich said. Debbie Dingell of the group told Axios. “However, the keyword is “strategically.” I am concerned about the chaotic and immediate implementation of these broad tariffs. ”
Meanwhile, Senator Gregory Meeks, a top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has pledged to force a vote to target new national emergency, which he uses to justify tariffs for 10% of the nation's emergency.
“I will soon introduce privileged resolutions to force votes to end the national emergency that Trump is using to justify these taxes. Republicans cannot continue ducking this, and it's time to show whether they support the economic pain Trump is inflicting on their members,” Meeks said in a statement.
Golden is known to infiltrate from his party on several important occasions.
Maine's Second Congressional District has been represented since January 2019, but in 2024 Trump won it with around 10%.
Rep. Gregory Meeks has pledged to force a vote to block Trump's tariffs. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, Getty Images)
Fox News Digital contacted Golden's office for further comment, but did not respond to the reporting time.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Trump's plans include a comprehensive 10% tariff on all imports into the United States, as well as up to 50% tariffs on both enemies and allies.
They also introduce some degree of mutual tariffs in countries that tax US exports, but in most cases the US tax rate is lower than in foreign countries.
“April 2, 2025 will be remembered forever on the day that American industry was reborn. The day that America's fate was reclaimed, and we began to make ourselves rich again,” Trump said in his remarks on Wednesday.
