‘Be Gentler, but Stay Firm’: North Dakota Farmer Shares Message for Trump Ahead of Midterm Elections

A fourth-generation farmer from North Dakota has urged US President Donald Trump to adopt a gentler approach while remaining firm on key issues, expressing mixed views on his administration’s record ahead of the November midterm elections.

Reginald Herman, who operates Hermansdale Farm in Brinsmade, North Dakota, said Trump had made the United States safer domestically but raised concerns about the potential security implications of the administration’s approach to international conflicts, particularly tensions involving Iran.

Asked whether Trump had made America safer, Herman said the president’s domestic record was more convincing than his performance on the international stage, where conflicts could create additional threats.

Herman’s family has operated its farm since 1901, making it a multigenerational agricultural enterprise. Speaking about his message to the president, he urged Trump to listen to evangelical leader Franklin Graham and adopt a more measured approach while maintaining strength and resolve.

Immigration was another major concern for Herman, who said the issue remained important even in a state such as North Dakota, far from the US-Mexico border.

While supporting secure borders, he distinguished border enforcement from opposition to immigration. Herman said he had adopted a girl of Asian origin and expressed affection for immigrants, arguing that the country needed a safer and more orderly immigration system with clear legal pathways.

He said his family had helped bring four people to the United States through green cards or programmes supporting Ukrainians displaced by war. According to Herman, his family had supported Ukrainian arrivals seeking refuge and believed immigration should continue through appropriate legal channels.

On agriculture, Herman said farmers were accustomed to extensive government regulation but wanted greater access to open markets and freer trade.

He also expressed concern about the future of his family’s farming business, saying he wanted his children and grandchildren to have opportunities to expand the enterprise, face fair taxation and operate without excessive restrictions.

Herman offered a mixed assessment of Trump’s first two years back in office, saying his views included both support and criticism. He noted that he had held similarly mixed opinions about successive presidents throughout his lifetime.

Although he wished Trump were more diplomatic in his approach, Herman suggested that political life in Washington often rewarded toughness over gentleness. He also acknowledged that significant work had been accomplished during the administration’s tenure.

One initiative he welcomed was the proposed White House ballroom project, which he said could provide a secure, world-class venue for official functions.

Herman also criticised the political polarisation in Washington, arguing that both Republicans and Democrats contributed to the continuing disputes in the capital. He described the conflict between the two parties as excessively political rather than the responsibility of one side alone.

Rejecting the characterisation of the United States as an imperialistic power, Herman pointed to the continued desire of immigrants to move to the country and his own experiences travelling internationally as reasons for his view.

With relatively few high-profile electoral contests in North Dakota, Herman said voters in the state were also following the wider national political landscape, including races in Michigan.

He added that even many Democrats in North Dakota held conservative views and expressed concern about policies they believed could threaten individual freedoms.

Herman’s remarks reflect a combination of support for border security, calls for freer trade, concerns about international tensions and a preference for a less confrontational political style as Americans prepare to vote in the November midterm elections.