Staff Reports
The Amish may have surprised the nation by stepping into the political arena, contributing to President-elect Donald Trump’s overwhelming victory in 2024, all thanks to an unfortunate incident they deemed government overreach. After suffering through a year marked by government raids on their farms, even the most isolated farmers couldn’t help but engage in the political system.
Trump’s triumph was especially notable in Pennsylvania, a key swing state he had lost in 2020. Former Trump adviser Jan Halper-Hayes claimed that conservative activist Scott Pressley registered an impressive 180,000 new Amish voters, although this figure seems to be pie in the sky given that Pennsylvania’s Amish population is close to 92,000, according to the Young Center’s research. Whether it was 180,000 or merely a smattering, those newly registered voters were crucial.
Elon Musk, the tech mogul who helped organize Trump’s ground game, pointed out that the Amish electorate hadn’t been mobilized in significant numbers before. One can only imagine the shock among the Democrats as they realized they were being challenged by an Amish community that typically remains as politically invisible as their horse-and-buggy transportation. The government’s heavy-handed tactics against the Amish, especially in the case of rancher Amos Miller, turned a usually quiet population into a formidable voting bloc.
Miller’s farm had been embroiled in legal battles with the state and the Department of Justice for years. The sausage-making process crashed down when federal agents accused him of violating multiple regulations following a listeria outbreak linked to the farm. Apparently, a raid that gleaned much of Miller’s dairy products didn’t just irk him— it lit an electoral fire under an otherwise passive community. The Amish viewed the state’s actions as a blatant act of tyranny, and given their historical roots in resisting oppression, their ire simply couldn’t go unchanneled.
Why the frustrated Amish turned out for Trump in Pennsylvania https://t.co/9pLDXD8cdr via @dcexaminer
— 🇺🇸 The Briefing Room 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 (@Briefing__Room) November 10, 2024
When Lancaster County, home to a significant number of the state’s Amish, swung decisively in favor of Trump, it became clear that the community’s newfound involvement had major implications. Despite the skepticism about the actual voting numbers, reports emerged that suggested the Amish turned out to vote in ways never seen before. While critics like Steven Nolt, director at the Young Center, insisted that the Amish would likely not rally in significant numbers, election results painted a different picture. The tide had shifted, and the usually quiet community found their voice, casting aside their long-held tradition of political detachment.
Trump’s near 140,000 vote margin in Pennsylvania became the final piece of a larger story—a tale of how a once-humble community saw the dangers of government overreach and decided to take a stand. Unexpected alliances often form in times of strife, and it seems the Amish are learning that a trip to the polls can be the most effective way to stand up for their rights. It’s almost poetic: from foot plows to future votes, the Amish are standing up for freedom, and if that’s not a plot twist, then what is?
