Congressman Jared Golden says he was not surprised by President Joe Biden's “poor performance” in the first presidential debate.

In an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News, Golden said the outcome of the election had been clear to him for months. “Although I don't plan to vote for him, Donald Trump will win. And I'm OK with that,” Golden wrote.

Golden went on to say that he does not believe a Trump victory would mean the end of our country's democratic system, but at the same time called January 6, 2021, a “black day.”

“This election is about the economy, not democracy. And when it comes to our economy, our Congress is far more important than who sits in the White House,” Golden wrote.

Golden says that power and responsibility lie with Congress and that they need the cooperation of lawmakers.

“I believe Trump will be in the White House in 2025. Maine representatives must work with him when it benefits the people of Maine, hold him accountable when it doesn't benefit them, and work independently across party lines no matter what,” he wrote. “Congress must stand up to the economic elites and so-called experts of both parties who are already working overtime to stop Trump's proposed trade policies that would reverse the harms of globalization and protect American businesses from unfair foreign competition.”

Golden's opponent in November, Republican Austin Theriault, responded to the debate by saying, “It became clear early on that voters had only one choice, as President Trump offered solutions to our country's greatest crises and Joe Biden defended his administration's role in creating the existing problems.”

On Tuesday, Theriault responded to Golden's comment, calling it an attempt to put his party and political future above that of ordinary Maine citizens.

“What a fraud. Simple questions for Jared Golden: Does he support Joe Biden for president or not? Does Golden believe Biden is sane or not? Golden won't say because he cares more about politics than the people of Maine,” Theriault wrote.