Thomas White, a junior at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, was drawn to Donald Trump early in the Republican primaries for his “America first” talk.

“He wasn’t afraid to be an American,” White says.

Above, Thomas White, a junior at Maine Martime Academy in Castine, poses for a photo at the campus. White says he was drawn to Trump for his America first policies, his stance on immigration and his promise to make the U.S. a strong presence in world affairs. Below, Ralph Caldwell is seen in his truck at Caldwell Family Farm in Turner. Staff photos by Gregory Rec

White says Trump’s efforts to keep jobs in America during his first 100 days in office resonate with people in Maine’s 2nd District, where five paper mills have closed in the past few years. He also says that Trump’s promise to lower energy costs and combat drug trafficking are issues critical to the region.

“Without those two being solved, you’re not going to see the Northeast recover,” White says.

White realizes he has a personal stake in what Trump does with the country’s trade agreements. White isn’t sure what job he’ll land after he graduates next year, but it will likely involve international commerce because of his major.

“His stance on trade is going to have a lot of impact on me as an International Business and Logistics graduate,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s going to be good or bad.”

White acknowledges that Trump could tone down some of the rhetoric and tweeting that he’s done during his first 100 days in office but says that, on the whole, the president is having a positive impact on the country.

“I don’t agree with everything he has to do or say, but I think he’s moving us in the right direction,” he says. “He’s getting Americans talking again.”

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