‘It won’t go well for them’: Jared Golden sticks with Trump in Canada tariff fight
Congressman Jared Golden at his home in Lewiston on October 2024. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden expressed support Tuesday for President Donald Trump’s new 50% tariffs on Canadian imports by saying the resulting confrontation “won’t go well for” the country that borders Maine.
The Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs over the weekend on more than $27 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiations between the historic allies broke down. Canada, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, responded Tuesday by saying it will match the tariffs “dollar for dollar” by imposing rates of up to 50% on American good starting Sept. 8.
Maine is on the front line of the renewed trade battle, especially given the inclusion of pulp and paper products that are among the Pine Tree State’s biggest exports to Canada.
Golden, the 2nd District Democrat who is not seeking reelection this year to the rural district that has thrice backed Trump, has previously supported Trump’s tariff actions, making him an exception among Maine’s congressional delegation. His Tuesday comments that stand with Trump in the trade battle with Canada show he has no plans to change his position.
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“If Canada thinks they’re better off without our goods, I wish them good luck,” Golden told the Portland Press Herald in a statement. “I suspect in the long run, it won’t go well for them.”
Trump mused on Truth Social Monday that “America has been carrying Canada for decades, but no longer!” Carney and Canadian leaders have pushed back, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford calling Trump the “king of bankruptcies.”
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The escalating trade fight may put Republicans who are on the ballot this fall at risk of facing the anger of voters forced to feel the effects of higher prices on an array of goods.
Vice President JD Vance, while visiting Brewer on Monday, defended the tariffs on Canada and said the Trump administration is trying to make sure Maine “gets a fair deal.”
But many politicians here are not fans of the taxes. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has called the latest tariffs on Canada “a mistake.” Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, the Democrat seeking to beat Collins in November, has criticized Trump’s tariff moves, as have U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, the progressive from the 1st District.
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Former Gov. Paul LePage and State Auditor Matt Dunlap are competing to succeed Golden, a 44-year-old Lewiston resident and Marine veteran who cited political incivility and threats against his family in not seeking reelection. Dunlap has criticized Trump’s Canada tariffs and mocked LePage in a Monday X post for saying he has a “direct line” to the White House.
“Will Paul demand they end those tariff taxes that are hurting working families? Don’t hold your breath,” Dunlap, an Old Town Democrat, said.
LePage essentially backed Trump’s posture towards Canada when speaking with reporters in Fairfield earlier this month, though he noted his past role in helping Canada and the U.S. with trade discussions during Trump’s first term.
“Do I want tariffs? I want them to go away as quick as possible,” LePage said. “But in order to have balance, both nations have to be able to trade fairly.”
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Tagged: 2nd district 2026, Canada, Matt Dunlap, Paul LePage, President Donald Trump, Rep. Jared Golden
Billy covers politics for the Press Herald. He joined the newsroom in 2026 after also covering politics for the Bangor Daily News for about two and a half years. Before moving to Maine in 2023, the Wisconsin. More by Billy Kobin
