The day after a mass shooting in Lewiston claimed the lives of 18 people, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd District announced Thursday that he has reversed his position and now supports a ban on assault rifles.
[RELATED: After 40 Hours, Maine’s Largest Manhunt Continues to Search for Lewiston Shooter Robert Card…]
Rep. Golden’s announcement, which came at a press conference alongside Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins at Lewiston City Hall Thursday evening, received backlash from two of his Republican 2024 challengers, who both slammed the statement as using the tragedy to advance a political agenda.
Golden said Thursday that he had opposed previous efforts to ban “deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime” because of a “false confidence that our community was above this.”
The centrist “Blue Dog” Democrat, who is a U.S. Marine veteran and was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, said that “the time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure,” and then called on Congress to ban assault rifles.
He added that he will “work with any colleague to get this done” in the time he has left in Congress.
One of his 2024 challengers, State Rep. Austin Theriault (R-Fort Kent), said the timing of Golden’s comments was “unfortunate and frustrating,” accusing the Democrat — alongside President Joe Biden — of trying to “score political points by attacking the 2nd Amendment” during this “time of tragedy.”
Rep. Theriault said he will “defend every law-abiding citizen’s 2nd Amendment rights,” and called for the “largest-ever investment into mental health care and access that the country has every seen.”
[RELATED: Top Maine Republicans Question How Maine’s “Yellow Flag” Law Failed to Stop Lewiston Shooter…]
“The need is clear: The manhunt for the shooter is ongoing, but the details available make it clear that the suspect has severe mental health issues and there was likely a failure of the mental health apparatus,” Theriault said. “We need to keep dangerous people off the streets.”
“There will be other lessons, and other policies, that we should consider in the wake of this crime, but infringing on regular citizens’ 2nd Amendment rights is not the answer,” he added. “This failure comes with a cost: this situation is brutal and has shaken our state to its core. That’s why we need to fix the problem, not spend time going after the 2nd Amendment.”
State Rep. Mike Soboleski (R-Phillips), who announced his candidacy in Maine’s 2nd District in September, issued a similar statement Thursday evening.
“Shame on Congressman Golden for using this tragedy to advance a liberal political agenda,” Rep. Soboleski said. “The actions of one deranged individual does not define who we are as Mainers.”
“I am an NRA member and a steadfast supporter of the Second Amendment, but now is not the time for politics,” Soboleski said. “Now is a time for us to come together as Mainers and neighbors to support victims families, support our law enforcement, and begin the difficult process of healing.”
Golden’s reversal on the issue of assault weapons could spell trouble for the Democrat’s reelection in the rural 2nd District, a district that was won by Donald Trump by over seven points in the 2020 presidential election.
When asked by reporters at the Thursday evening press conference if she would support an assault weapons ban, Sen. Susan Collins said “I think it is more important that we ban very high capacity magazines.”
[RELATED: Members of Maine’s Congressional Delegation, Federal Officials Speak Out on Lewiston Mass Shooting…]
Collins said that such a ban “would have more input and more effectiveness.”
“There’s always more that we can do,” the Republican Senator said, referencing her co-authorship of the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which she said provided funding for red and yellow flag laws, as well as mental health clinics.
16 Comments
Knee “Jerk” Reactionist
Absent reality
One single firearm possessed by a law-abiding citizen could have ended carnage at these “Gun Free Zones.”
Gun Free Zones Are Soft Targets
Here’s a guy whose campaign ads actually showed him working on a lobster boat, which he’s probably never been on a lobster boat before except to give gullible voters the impression HE’S A REAL HARD WORKING MAINER. His ads also prominently shown wearing his Army fatigues and helmet while holding his rifle to give gullible voters the impression that he’s pro gun and will use that rifle to protect himself and democracy. You see, he’s just one of the boys. What’s really sickening is he never mentions anything about mental health and instead brings up the rifle as the major culprit, not the monster who wielded it. He’s all smoke and mirrors.
Politics in action, they all wanting to get in on the publicity.
If not for rank choice voting he would not be in congress trying to restrict our rights.
Hummm,I’ve never seen someone so unintelligent and stupid in my life.. so obviously bought and paid for by the Marxist party in Washington
The bowling alley is a gun free zone.
Let’s face it; the real agenda of lefties like Golden is to disarm all Americans and leave them subject to rogue, fascist governments like the Biden regime and its Democrat-loving sycophants in the DOJ, FBI, and bureaucratic deep state. The FBI has actively ignored and obscured proof of Biden’s corruption for decades.
Golden has finally exposed his true self; the voters will sort him out in 2024.
Turncaat!
Perhaps Rep. Golden should look into why this man still had guns after being hospitalized for an acute mental health event just a few months ago. This is a colossal failure on the part of Maine’s entire leadership – these deaths were preventable had the laws that are in place just been followed.
The Maine Wire should aggressively ask Rep Golden to explain why he believes criminals – who by definition do not respect the law – would be deterred from obtaining firearms because of laws and regulations that they do not respect. On the contrary, the entire state now understands the benefit that one armed citizen could have created in the bowling alley or the bar.
Remember, this is the guy who voted for the so called Inflation Reduction Act and the omnibus spending bill. He supports third trimester abortion until the moment of birth. Maine needs to stop electing people who have demonstrated poor judgement.
Today is Saturday. We have all learned that the bowling alley was A Gun Free Zone. Learn from it; vote overwhelmingly to Vote these politicians out of Office! Don’t be gullible; they no longer represent We The People of Maine, only the lobbyists with the biggest cash payouts. VOTE THEM OUT!
You don’t go crazy overnight this guy probably had issues most of his life. So what changed that pushed him over the edge? An intelligent person would ask could it be possible the medications he was put on during his two week stay this summer at the funny farm were a contributing factor to his break down? A smart person would hire a investigating lawyer then drag the drug manufacture to court for wrongful death.
Some moron was praising Mills for a steadfast leadership. Can’t stop laughing.
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Nice to see Golden is finally showing his true colors as a foot soldier for George Soros. He’s been conning the voters of the 2nd district now for several years as an independent voice of the people for the citizens of Maine. He probably thinks AR stands for assault weapon. Now he wants to take your semi automatic “ assault weapons”. Next step is your Glocks and Sigs. Maybe this idiot ought to take a history class on why the second amendment came to be.
Rooster8894 is right on point. Without Rank Choice Voting he would not be living of the taxpayers dime. When I say ‘Rank” it is an adjective meaning putrid, offensively gross because that is what it has done to the voting process in Maine. My fear is the people of Maine will never wake up to remove this idiotic system and people like Golden who are Marxist, Socialist, etc will continue to get elected. Then you will lose every right in the US Constitution.
Really disappointing, I thought Jared was going to mature and be fine. He’s caught the Washington disease. he has become shameless.
What he said was despicable