In a surprising political shift, President-elect Donald Trump clinched the 2024 election with notable backing from the Amish community in Pennsylvania.
Amish voter turnout surged in reaction to a government raid on a local farmer, propelling Trump to secure Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes—a key battleground state he previously lost in 2020, Washington Examiner reported.
Although the Amish traditionally disengage from politics, Elon Musk, Trump's campaign advisor, highlighted a shift driven by grievances over perceived governmental overreach. Musk explained that incidents like the shutdown of Amish farms sparked significant unrest within the community, galvanizing a typically politically inactive demographic.
Elon Musk emphasized the effect government actions had on the community. “And there was some ... government overreach that shut down some Amish farmers, which made them pretty upset,” he stated. “And you just need to be able to channel that, the fact that they’re upset, like, well, there’s a thing you can do about it, which is called voting, and we’re happy to transport.”
The pivotal moment for the Amish community's mobilization was a federal raid on Amos Miller's farm, which faced numerous legal challenges since 2019 from state and federal agencies over health safety violations linked to serious foodborne illnesses. The community saw these legal encroachments as tyrannical, prompting an unprecedented political response. According to sources, this legal battle against Miller, involving seizures of food and dairy products, underscored feelings of government tyranny.
In Lancaster County, known for its substantial Amish population, Trump’s margin of victory was significant, winning by 17 points. The electoral participation of the Amish community was a remarkable change noted by many political analysts. However, the total impact of Amish votes on the election remains uncertain.
Despite efforts to register a large number of Amish voters, the reported figure of 180,000 new registrations by conservative activist Scott Pressley likely exceeds realistic estimates given the entire Amish population in Pennsylvania is around 92,000. Steven Nolt, a scholar at Elizabethtown College, expressed skepticism regarding the large-scale voting shift within such a traditionally non-voting group.
“For most Amish history and in most Amish communities today, Amish people don’t vote,” Steven Nolt observed. “They haven’t voted, they’re not voting, and I think it’s safe to say shortly we wouldn’t expect them to.”
However, the 2024 election suggested otherwise, with reports indicating a notable increase in Amish electoral participation. The long-established Amish community, present since the 18th century, revealed a willingness to alter its historical stance on political engagement, possibly reshaping its future interactions with broader societal issues.
Trump’s campaign strategy successfully utilized the discontent among the Amish, suggesting a nuanced navigation of voter sentiments rooted in cultural and historical contexts. The DOJ's ongoing legal battle and the consequential mobilization of the Amish underscore a complex interaction between law enforcement and cultural preservationist concerns unique to the Amish communities.
Although definitive numbers on Amish voter turnout in the 2024 election remain unconfirmed, widely reported anecdotal evidence suggests increased participation. This development prompts questions about the potential long-term political implications for the Amish community in Pennsylvania and beyond.
In conclusion, the 2024 presidential election marked a significant departure from tradition for Pennsylvania's Amish, driven by a specific contentious incident and facilitated by targeted voting efforts. This event may influence future political and cultural engagements of this deeply private community, reflecting broader themes of governmental interaction and community autonomy.
