Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat from Maine, expressed optimism about President Donald Trump’s support for tariffs and his move to add a 10% baseline duty to all U.S. imports. Golden had previously proposed legislation for a 10% universal tariff earlier in the year. He believes that his party is moving in the wrong direction when it comes to trade, noting that the Democratic Party has shifted away from its previous stance on trade issues. Golden emphasized the importance of looking beyond the president and focusing on what would be good for rural communities, working-class people, and areas that have been negatively impacted by existing trade agreements.
Golden has a history of diverging from his party on various issues such as trade, border security, and former President Joe Biden’s student loan relief efforts. Despite winning his seat in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District by less than 1% in 2024, Trump carried the district by 10%. Golden expressed satisfaction that Trump’s tariff plan aligns with his own ideas for a universal tax on foreign goods, but stressed the need for policies that prioritize American families’ prosperity. He acknowledged that while tariffs are a step in rewriting a rigged trade system, they cannot be the last step, and urged support for American workers through unions, trades, apprenticeship programs, and other initiatives.
In addition to the 10% baseline duty on all U.S. imports, Trump also introduced several new tariff policies and reciprocal tariffs of nearly 50% on adversaries and allies. Golden emphasized the need to review these policies in detail before further commenting on them. He stressed the importance of ensuring that the new approach to trade benefits working people by supporting unions, trades, cutting regulations, unleashing American energy, and using tariff revenue to support domestic manufacturers that create good-paying jobs for Americans. Golden expressed a willingness to work with the president to fix the broken ‘free trade’ system that has disproportionately affected manufacturing communities across the country.
Golden highlighted the Democratic Party’s shift in stance regarding trade issues, expressing concern that it has moved in the wrong direction. He pointed out that the party used to warn about organizations like the World Trade Organization and agreements like NAFTA. Golden emphasized the need to focus on what is best for rural communities, working-class people, and areas like Detroit that have been impacted by existing trade agreements. He acknowledged that the debate on trade has been ongoing since the 1990s and is not solely about President Trump, but rather about finding solutions that benefit American workers and communities that have been adversely affected by trade policies.
