Usually Democrats say Trump is the worst thing to ever happen to this country. But not all of them are following the party line.
And President Trump can’t believe his eyes after this Democrat joined forces with him.
In a surprising twist, a moderate Democrat is offering a glimmer of hope amid the storm of outrage from his party over President Donald Trump’s tariff stance, signaling a rare crack of daylight between the lines.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, rolled out a detailed statement highlighting his own push earlier this year for a 10% across-the-board tariff on U.S. imports, a move that aligns neatly with Trump’s starting point.
“What I can say now is I’m pleased the president is building his tariff agenda on the foundation of a universal 10% tariff like the one I proposed in the BUILT USA Act. This ring fence around the American economy is a good start to erasing our unsustainable trade deficits,” Golden said, tipping his hat to a policy that could bolster the nation’s economic backbone.
“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,” he added, striking a pragmatic tone that hints at collaboration over confrontation.
Golden did note Trump’s rollout of “a number of new tariff policies” beyond the 10% baseline, saying he’d need time to dig into the specifics before fully jumping on board.
He doubled down on a key caveat: “Tariffs must be paired with policies that prioritize American families’ prosperity.”
“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,” Golden explained, sketching a vision that could resonate with Trump’s America-first ethos.
“Tariffs are a first step in rewriting a rigged trade system, but they cannot be the last one,” he concluded, leaving the door ajar for more.
While Golden’s take stops short of a bear hug for Trump’s full tariff playbook, it’s a refreshing departure from the gloom and doom echoing through Democratic ranks.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., offered a more guarded view to Axios: “I have always said that when used strategically, tariffs are a critical tool. However, the key word is ‘strategically.’ I’m concerned about the chaotic and immediate implementation of these wide-reaching tariffs.”
On the flip side, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, came out swinging, vowing to force a vote to dismantle the national emergency Trump’s leaning on to justify the 10% tariff.
“I’ll soon introduce a privileged resolution to force a vote on ending the made up national emergency Trump is using to justify these taxes.”
“Republicans can’t keep ducking this — it’s time they show whether they support the economic pain Trump is inflicting on their constituents,” Meeks fired off in a statement.
Golden’s willingness to buck his party isn’t new—he’s carved his own path before. Representing Maine’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019, a region Trump carried by about 10% in 2024, he’s no stranger to reading the room.
Fox News Digital reached out to Golden’s office for more but hadn’t heard back by deadline.
Trump’s blueprint features a 10% blanket tariff on all U.S. imports, with steeper rates—up to 50%—on both foes and friends alike, plus a dose of reciprocal tariffs to level the playing field for American exports, though the U.S. often keeps its rates lower than the other side’s.
“April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn. The day America’s destiny was reclaimed. And the day that we began to make America wealthy again,” Trump proclaimed Wednesday, casting his plan as a historic turning point.
