Democrat Rep Jared Golden says his party's moving in 'wrong direction' on trade

EXCLUSIVE: A cardinal moderate Democrat is informing his enactment they are heading the "wrong" mode connected trade.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, was 1 of the fewer Democrats to explicit immoderate optimism astatine President Donald Trump's enactment for tariffs, specifically his determination to adhd a 10% baseline work to each U.S. imports. 

Golden noted successful a little interrogation with Fox News Digital connected Thursday that helium himself projected authorities for a 10% cosmopolitan tariff earlier this twelvemonth and successful the erstwhile Congress.

When asked however his stance connected tariffs has been received by chap House Democrats, Golden said, "Well, I deliberation that they are moving successful the incorrect absorption erstwhile it comes to trade."

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Rep. Jared Golden, left, is again bucking his chap House Democrats connected the contented of trade, arsenic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others heckle tariffs. (Getty Images)

"I deliberation it's been a knee-jerk absorption to the president," the Maine Democrat explained of the much caller furor.

He said the Democratic Party helium joined successful his "formative years" was "the enactment that was informing astir things similar the World Trade Organization oregon [the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)]."

"It has benignant of, I think, had a abrupt question successful the other direction, and that's unfortunate," Golden said. "You've got to look beyond, you know, who the president is…to inquire themselves what would beryllium bully for agrarian communities oregon working-class people, oregon cities similar Detroit, immoderate it whitethorn beryllium – those who person been deed hardest by the existing commercialized regime."

He added, however, "I deliberation that this statement has been brewing since the '90s, truthful it's not lone astir Trump."

President Donald Trump holds a illustration arsenic helium delivers remarks connected reciprocal tariffs during an lawsuit successful the Rose Garden astatine the White House successful Washington connected April 2, 2025. (Getty Images)

Golden has been known to interruption from his ain enactment connected issues similar trade, borderline security, and notably, erstwhile President Joe Biden's pupil indebtedness alleviation efforts.

He won his spot successful Maine's 2nd Congressional District by little than 1% successful 2024, portion Trump carried the territory by 10%.

He said connected Wednesday that helium was "pleased" Trump's tariff program lined up with his ain ideas for a cosmopolitan taxation connected overseas goods.

"I’m anxious to enactment with the president to hole the breached ‘free trade’ strategy that made multinational corporations affluent but ruined manufacturing communities crossed the country. But tariffs indispensable beryllium paired with policies that prioritize American families’ prosperity."

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House Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, left, and erstwhile President Joe Biden. (Getty Images)

He pointed out, however, that Trump "introduced a fig of caller tariff policies" alongside the 10% cosmopolitan tax, and that helium would request clip to reappraisal the policies successful item earlier weighing successful connected them further.

Trump's plan involves a 10% broad tariff connected each imports into the U.S., arsenic good arsenic reciprocal tariffs arsenic precocious arsenic astir 50% connected some adversaries and allies.

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Golden added, "We request to marque definite that the caller attack benefits moving radical — that means supporting unions, the trades and apprenticeship programs, cutting regulations that clasp backmost production, unleashing American vigor and utilizing tariff gross to enactment home manufacturers that make good-paying jobs for Americans."

"Tariffs are a archetypal measurement successful rewriting a rigged commercialized system, but they cannot beryllium the past one."