Democratic congressman Jared Golden (Maine), who represents a swing district that voted three times for President Donald Trump, criticized his fellow Democrats' "outrage" at everything Trump does, warning that it undermines the party's credibility.
"I don't think that it's been very effective, the Dem response, so far. In fact, I'm frustrated by it," Golden told the Washington Post in an interview this week. "If you make everything Defcon 5, then eventually nothing is Defcon 5, you know what I mean?"
Trump has drawn most Democrats' ire with a flurry of executive orders targeting illegal immigration, dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and barring biological men from competing in women's sports. Elon Musk, who leads Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency," has moved to slash government spending and eliminate waste—leading Democrats to allege that Trump is overstepping his authority.
Golden, however, cautioned that the question of constitutional overreach is "not always so cut and dry," urging fellow Democrats to review the facts before leveling allegations against Republicans.
"I think if you rush right out and just say, like, 'This is, like, dictatorial or illegal,' you might end up being wrong, and that undermines your credibility," the Maine Democrat said.
First elected in 2018, Golden, a Marine veteran, has won reelection twice in Maine's second district, even as Trump carried it in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Golden has often broken with his party, most recently by backing Trump's tariffs. He also voted against the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan and Build Back Better bill. The congressman made headlines last summer for accurately predicting that Trump would win the 2024 presidential election and saying he was "OK with that."
"I'm not going to react instantaneously to everything the president says. I'm going to be paying attention to what the president does," Golden said in the interview. "I will review his actions and then weigh in on whether or not I think he's been effective or undermined American interests."