Trump is now courting the Amish vote. So Stephen Colbert interviews 'Amish' Trump backer Will Forte.

Stephen Colbert interviews &quot;Amish&quot; Trump supporter Will Forte

(Image credit: Late Show)

published 26 October 2016

The race for Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes is so intense that a group backing Donald Trump is trying to court the Amish vote, Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show, and he thought it was a good move. "This is the perfect demographic for Trump," he said. "They're the only voters left who haven't googled him." The pitch to the Amish includes that Trump is a builder, like them, and "the Amish like the fact that Trump has a family-owned business — whereas Hillary Clinton has a business-owned family," Colbert joked.

To seal the deal, the Trump PAC put up a billboard in Amish country declaring: "Vote Trump: Hard Working, Pro-Life, Family Dedicated... Just Like You." Yes, Colbert said, "in fact, Trump is so dedicated to family, he can't stop starting them." To find out if this courtship is working, he interviewed "Zachariah Miller," an Amish Trump backer played by Will Forte, and he does in fact like that Trump is a builder.

"What about Hillary Clinton? Do the Amish like her?" Colbert asked. "Oh no, we hate her." Miller said. "Why?" Colbert asked. "The emails!" Forte's Miller replied. "Wait, you're mad she deleted them?" Colbert asked. "Oh no, we're mad she uses emails at all," he said. "They're the Devil's thank you notes. Plus she wears no bonnet, the temptress, unlike Mr. Trump, who humbly covers his head with plenty of hay for his horses." If you're wondering at this point why an Amish farmer could even appear on TV, Forte had an answer: Rumspringa. And that also explains the increasingly bizarre turn the interview takes, and its twist ending. Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.