Austin Theriault questions timing of Jared Golden’s Biden criticism

GOP House hopeful Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver, attempted to cast doubt on Rep. Jared Golden’s (D-ME) criticism of President Joe Biden.

Golden, a centrist Democrat, occupies one of the most vulnerable Democratic districts in 2024, with the Cook Political Report labeling the race as a toss-up in favor of Republicans. Theriault’s campaign has intensified efforts to tie Biden to Golden, efforts which reached a fever pitch after the president’s shaky debate performance.

Golden became one of the first few Democrats to voice skepticism about Biden’s reelection path following the debate, even saying he believes former President Donald Trump will win and that he’s “ok with that.” Theriault questioned why the sitting representative only fully distanced himself from Biden after the debate.

In a campaign email with the headline, “What Did Jared Golden Know and When Did He Know It?” the Republican’s campaign voiced skepticism over the timing of Golden’s distancing from Biden.

“As Americans come to terms with the truth of Joe Biden’s health, Mainers are asking an important question: ‘What did Jared Golden know and when did he know it,’” Shawn Roderick, Theriault’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “Golden’s attempts to duck and dodge questions about his support for Biden and the Democrats’ far-left policies will never erase the lengths he went to put his party ahead of the wellbeing of Maine families.”

Golden is not a staunch Biden ally, and he has been critical of the Biden administration before. In fact, he disagreed with the president’s priorities more than any other House Democrat in 2023, according to a report. The Washington Examiner reached out to Golden for comment on Theriault’s attack.

Golden’s op-ed was published in the Bangor Daily News on Friday, more than a week after the debate. In it, he declared that Trump was going to win and that democracy would be fine as a result.

“After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the party’s nominee,” he said. “Biden’s poor performance in the debate was not a surprise. It also didn’t rattle me as it has others because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I don’t plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I’m OK with that.”

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The state representative predicted Golden’s move to distance himself from Biden in an email the day after the debate.

“What we witnessed during the presidential debate was a sad moment for our country,” he said. “President Biden has sadly demonstrated he’s not physically capable and doesn’t have the political judgment to lead our country into a safer, more prosperous future. My opponent, Jared Golden, still supports Biden and his agenda and will likely do everything he can to distance himself from him in the coming days. Mainers won’t be fooled.”