Florida congressional candidate Jake Rush, who made headlines earlier this year when his vampire role-playing hobby was exposed, discussed politics, Florida’s third congressional district, and — of course — vampires with comedian Stephen Colbert in an interview on Thursday’s Colbert Report.

“[Rush] is running on a platform of traditional marriage, strict constitutionalism, strong national defense, and repealing Obamacare,” Colbert said of the Tea Party-backed Rush in his introduction. “[He] is everything you could want in a congressman — and maybe more than you do.”

Surprisingly, Colbert’s mockery of Rush’s past as a role-playing vampire was not the most embarrassing part of the interview. When pressed on actual issues, Rush badly stumbled. “[Incumbent congressman] Yoho vowed to oppose any military action against any country that is not a direct threat to the United States,” Colbert said. Unflinchingly, Rush responded: “Isn’t that ridiculous?”

Colbert then begged, “What country would you have military action against that is not a direct threat to the United States?”

“For instance, the battle in Syria,” Rush responded. “There’s an adage in military and law enforcement: You never want to have to take the same ground twice,” said Rush.

“Like going into Iraq twice?” Colbert asked.

“Right,” Rush responded.

Colbert then pressed him: “Which one of those should we not have done?”

Stumped, Rush replied: “I don’t know. Wars are complicated.”

After Colbert’s tounge-in-cheek questions about foreign policy and Florida’s “fighting third” congressional district, the host got to the pressing issue at hand: “Sir, for the record, are you a vampire?” Colbert asked.

Rush, slightly amused, responded with a simple “no.”

The full interview is below.

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Screenshot via Hulu