In the second episode of the Showtime special, Cohen takes on the role of Israeli anti-terror expert Captain Erran Morad and enlists Georgia State Representative Jason Spencer, a Republican, to take part in anti-terrorism training.
First on Cohen's list was how to spot a terrorist who is hiding behind a burka. The comedian explained to Spencer that he needed to pretend to be a Chinese tourist and use a selfie stick to try and take a picture underneath the burka in order to tell if the person was a woman or a man using the garment as a disguise to carry out an attack.
"Konnichiwa… red dragon… Beijing… Ho Chi Minh City… red dragon… chopsticks… sushi," Spencer babbled out while trying to take a photo with the selfie stick. It should be noted that Konnichiwa and sushi are generally associated with Japanese culture, and Ho Chi Minh City is in southern Vietnam.
Moving on down Cohen's list, Spencer was asked to demonstrate what he would do to attract attention if terrorists were trying to kidnap him. Here, Cohen mentioned that in the US there is one forbidden word: the N-word. When given the go-ahead to show how he would respond, Spencer didn't hold back.
"Ni**er, ni**er, ni**er, ni**er," he belted out. Cohen quickly interrupted, calling Spencer "crazy" and that he was referring to the word "noony."
"Are you crazy? The N-word is ‘noony.' Not this word. This word is disgusting," Cohen remarked.
After a quick "got it" from Spencer, Cohen moved on to the last and final tactic: How to intimidate a terrorist. Cohen explained that in order to scare away a member of ISIS, you needed to expose your buttocks, because if you were to touch them it would suddenly turn them into a homosexual.
With Cohen pretending to be a member of ISIS, Spencer dropped his trousers and later his boxer briefs to chase the comedian around with his butt.
"I'll touch you! I'll touch you with my buttocks," an exposed Spencer yelled as he inched forward to Cohen. "I'll touch you! You better drop the gun or I'll touch you! USA!"
After receiving some brief critiques on his first two performances, Spencer went in for a third attempt.
"I'll touch you! I'll make you a homosexual or you drop that gun right now! USA! USA!" Spencer shouts.
Moments after the episode aired, fellow Georgia politicians hopped online to condemn Spencer's actions and call for his resignation.
Governor Nathan Deal took to Twitter in the early morning hours of Monday and called the 43-year-old's behavior "appalling and offensive."
— Governor Nathan Deal (@GovernorDeal) July 23, 2018
"There is no excuse for this type of behavior, ever, and I am saddened and disgusted by it," he added.
In a statement to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston said Spencer needed to offer his resignation.
"The actions and behavior used on this video are reprehensible," Ralston wrote. "Representative Spencer has disgraced himself and should resign immediately. Georgia is better than this."
According to the Chronicle, Ralson is discussing the possibility of filing a joint ethics complaint against Spencer with House Majority Leader Joe Burns and House Minority Leader Robert Trammell. The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is also calling for Spencer's resignation.
Responding to the critiques, Spencer released his own statement on the show, saying that Cohen has taken advantage of him.
"Sacha Baron Cohen and his associates took advantage of my paralyzing fear that my family would be attacked," Spencer to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "In posing as an Israeli Agent, he pretended to offer self-defense exercises. As uncomfortable as I was to participate, I agreed to, understanding that these ‘techniques' were meant to help me and others fend off what I believed was an inevitable attack."
The "paralyzing fear" that Spencer is referring to is death threats he received for his anti-mask bill that would have barred women from wearing burkas on public property. He ultimately withdrew the legislative proposal.
"I deeply regret the language I used at his request as well as my participation in the ‘class' in general. If I had not been so distracted by my fears, I never would have agreed to participate in the first place," he continued. Spencer concluded his statement by offering more apologies and indicating that he would be finishing up his remaining five months and would then "vacate my seat."
Cohen, who seized the spotlight with the successes of his past undercover projects such as "Da Ali G Show" and "Borat" in the early 2000s, targeted a slew of politicians for his latest endeavor. The show's first episode filmed several officials, including former Illinois Republican Rep. Joe Walsh, for a video message to support a fake program to arm elementary-aged children.
