AOC Praises Maine’s Jared Golden for Calling for ‘Assault Rifle’ Ban

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) praised Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) for coming out in support of an “assault rifle” ban on Thursday following the Wednesday Maine shooting after he had previously opposed a ban. 

At a press conference in Lewiston, Maine, on Thursday, Golden said: 

I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime. The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles, like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my home town of Lewiston, Maine. 

Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most progressive members of Congress, retweeted the clip and called Golden’s comments “Powerful, brave, and moving.” 

“This is leadership. Thank you,” she wrote, tagging Golden. “Our community stands with yours throughout this tragedy and in the work ahead.”

Maine State Rep. Austin Theriault (R-Kent), a NASCAR driver who is running to unseat Golden in the district, said in a post on X that it is “unfortunate and frustrating” that Golden and President Joe Biden “would try to score political points by attacking the 2nd amendment.” 

“When I am in Congress I will defend every law-abiding citizen’s 2nd Amendment rights,” he wrote. “For decades we have failed to invest in the people who are struggling the most, and we are seeing the consequences of our political inaction. “

“I’m calling for the largest-ever investment in mental health care and access that the country has ever seen,” he added. 

The shooting suspect, identified by authorities at Robert Card, remains at large after 18 people were fatally shot and 13 more were wounded, CBS News reported. Citing a law enforcement bulletin, the outlet’s Emily Mae Czachor and Cara Tabachnick wrote that “Card recently reported experiencing mental health issues, including hearing voices, and threatened to shoot up a military base in Saco.” 

In this image taken from a video released by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified gunman points a gun while entering Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25, 2023. (Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

The outlet adds: 

He was also reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks over this past summer, according to the bulletin.

In mid-July, leaders of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 3rd battalion told garrison staff that Card was “behaving erratically,” a spokesperson for the New York Army National Guard said in a statement to CBS News on Thursday. The battalion was staying at the Camp Smith training site in Cortlandt, while training at the U.S. Military Academy.

Theriault suggested in his statement on X that the details of the alleged shooter’s mental health history indicate “there was likely a failure of the mental health apparatus.” 

“We need to keep dangerous people off the streets,” he contended. “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.”

On Thursday morning, Theriault condemned the shooting as “evil” and said that the “victims and their families deserved much better from their fellow man.”