North Dakota farmer to Trump ahead of midterms: 'Be gentler, but hard and firm'
Synopsis
A fourth-generation North Dakota farmer who has farmed the same land since 1901 stood outside the White House days before the midterms and told Trump to 'be gentler, but hard and firm' — while backing secure borders, freer trade, and crediting the president with getting 'a lot done' domestically, even as he worried about US posture toward Iran abroad.
Key Takeaways
Reginald Herman , a fourth-generation farmer from Brinsmade, North Dakota , spoke outside the White House days ahead of the midterm elections .
He urged President Trump to 'be gentler, but be hard and firm and tough,' citing Franklin Graham as a guiding influence.
Herman said Trump had made the US safer domestically but raised concerns about tensions with Iran on the world stage.
He supports secure borders but not hostility to immigrants — his family has helped bring four people from other countries to the US, including Ukrainians fleeing the war.
On farming, he called for freer trade , noting agriculture is already a heavily regulated industry.
He blamed both parties equally for Washington's dysfunction, calling the political fighting 'immature' on both sides.
A fourth-generation North Dakota farmer standing outside the White House days before the midterm elections has offered President Donald Trump a candid two-part message: be 'gentler,' but remain 'hard and firm and tough.' The farmer, Reginald Herman of Brinsmade, North Dakota, said Trump had made the country safer domestically — but raised doubts about his record on the world stage.
A Farmer's Verdict on Trump's Record
Herman, who operates Hermansdale Farm roughly 100 miles west of Grand Forks, comes from a family that has worked the land since 1901, according to a family history published by the Devils Lake Journal. Asked whether Trump had made America safe and secure, he drew a careful distinction. 'On the world stage, maybe not because fighting with Iran probably brings…some threats. On the local stage, absolutely. Absolutely, yes,' he said.
His broader assessment of Trump's first two years back in office was measured. 'There's things I like and there's things I don't like, but that has been every president since I was born, way back to Kennedy,' he said. He acknowledged that 'in the last two years, a lot has got done,' even as he wished the president carried a softer personal touch.
The Message: 'Listen to Franklin Graham'
Herman's advice for the president was direct and brief. 'Listen to Franklin Graham and… be gentler, but be hard and firm and tough,' he said. He added that Washington's combative environment may explain Trump's approach: 'I wish he was a gentler guy, but I'm starting to think in Washington, if you're gentle, you just get walked on.'
He singled out one specific achievement for praise — Trump's White House ballroom project. 'The ballroom makes me proud. There's no reason on earth we don't have a world class secure environment in the White House,' Herman said.
On Immigration: Secure Borders, Not Hostility
Herman pushed back against the notion that immigration is solely a border-state concern. 'The immigration thing to us in North Dakota, believe it or not, is very important,' he said. Yet he was careful to separate border security from anti-immigrant sentiment. 'I believe in secure borders, but I've adopted an Asian girl… I love immigrants, but I just think we need to be safer about it and have a right path like my grandpa took,' he said.
His family, he noted, had helped bring four people from other countries to the United States — through green cards and a programme for Ukrainians displaced by the war. 'We brought a couple here and supported them to come to America to get away from the war. So we support immigration. We just want it done right,' he said.
Agriculture and the Call for Freer Trade
On farm policy, Herman acknowledged the sector's heavily regulated nature but pushed for greater market openness. 'Agriculture is a very regulated industry, so we're used to a lot of government involvement. But at the same time, we would like to see freer trade,' he said. He expressed hope that his children and grandchildren — the fifth and sixth generations of Hermansdale Farm — would have 'the freedom to grow, to be taxed fairly, but yet not to be so restricted.'
Watching the National Picture from the Northern Plains
With few competitive races locally, North Dakota voters are closely tracking national contests, including closely watched races in Michigan, Herman said. He described even the state's Democratic voters as 'very conservative people' who worry about 'really far left things that we think would maybe erode…some of our freedoms.' He attributed Washington's dysfunction to both parties equally, calling the ongoing political fighting 'immature' on both sides of the aisle.
As the midterms approach, Herman's voice represents a strand of rural, centrist American opinion that neither party can fully claim — and one that candidates in farm states ignore at their peril.
Point of View
Defends immigration through personal experience, and calls for freer trade — a stance that quietly contradicts the administration's tariff posture. The fact that a multigenerational farmer standing outside the White House still reaches for the word 'gentler' suggests Trump's style, not just his policies, remains a live liability with the constituency he most needs. North Dakota rarely swings, but its political temperature sets the baseline for Senate-map states that do.
NationPress
27 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Reginald Herman and why is his opinion notable ahead of the midterms?
Reginald Herman is a fourth-generation farmer from Brinsmade, North Dakota, whose family has operated Hermansdale Farm since 1901. His views are notable because he represents a strand of rural, centrist American opinion — supporting Trump on domestic security while calling for a gentler tone and freer trade — that neither party fully controls heading into the midterms.
What did the North Dakota farmer say about Trump's record on safety?
Herman said Trump had made the US safer domestically, but expressed reservations about his foreign policy, specifically citing tensions with Iran. 'On the world stage, maybe not because fighting with Iran probably brings…some threats. On the local stage, absolutely,' he said.
What is Herman's position on immigration?
Herman supports secure borders but firmly opposes hostility toward immigrants. He noted that his family adopted an Asian daughter, helped bring four people from other countries to the US through green cards, and supported Ukrainian refugees — insisting immigration should follow 'a right path,' not be blocked outright.
What does Herman want from Trump on trade and agriculture?
Herman called for 'freer trade,' acknowledging that farming is already a heavily regulated industry. He wants future generations of his family to have the freedom to grow 'taxed fairly, but yet not so restricted' — a position that sits in some tension with the administration's tariff-heavy trade approach.
How are North Dakota voters approaching the midterm elections?
With few competitive local races, North Dakota voters are watching national contests, including key races in Michigan, according to Herman. He described even the state's Democrats as 'very conservative people' worried about far-left policies eroding freedoms, and blamed both parties equally for Washington's dysfunction.
