(IntegrityTimes.com) – Democratic Maine Representative Jared Golden, one of the party’s more moderate lawmakers, stated in an op-ed published on June 3 that former President Donald Trump is going to win the presidential election in November. He added that he was “OK with that” and that democracy will be “fine” with Trump in the White House.
Golden’s comments followed mounting concerns among fellow Democrats about President Joe Biden’s viability as a candidate after he faltered throughout the one-on-one televised debate with Trump. Following Biden’s poor performance, which was blamed first on a cold then on jet lag, Democratic Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett called on the 81-year-old incumbent president to reluctantly bow out of the race. The party’s Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva has also asked Biden to step down.
Golden’s comments contrasted strongly with the fears that many other Democrats have that Trump could carry out political retribution against his enemies if reelected in November. Biden and the Democrats have repeatedly argued that Trump presents a serious threat to democracy, due to his claims that the 2020 election results were illegitimate and accusations by Democrats that he encouraged the January 6 Capitol riots.
Golden acknowledged that January 6, 2021, was a “dark day”. Having served on combat tours of Afghanistan and Iraq, however, he argued that Congress is as important in defending democracy as the armed forces. Golden stressed that the election is focused on the economy rather than democracy. He stated that Congress plays a bigger role in addressing the economy than who is in the White House.
The Democrat said that his state’s lawmakers needed to commit to both scrutinizing and working with Trump if he returns to the White House. He pleaded with voters and “all citizens” to ignore the “scare tactics”, adding that they can defend their democracy without “party insiders” in back rooms.
Biden is fighting to convince not only fellow members of the party that he is the best option, but leading Democratic donors too, who have stated they will not donate further to the party’s presidential campaign unless Biden steps down. Donors withdrawing support for Biden include politically-linked donor Gideon Stein, movie producer Damon Lindelof and heiress Abigail E. Disney.
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