British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has "defended" Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani after the president's confidante appeared in a compromising scene in his new film "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm". In the said scene Borat's daughter Tutar Sagdiyeva poses as a conservative journalist, who wants to talk to Giuliani about the administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Throughout the interview Borat's daughter, played by actress Maria Bakalova, touches Giuliani's hand and at some point puts her hand on his knee. When the fake interview ends Tutar invites Giuliani for a drink "in the bedroom". She then helps Giuliani to remove his microphone and the lawyer then lays on the bed and seemingly puts his hand inside his pants. This moment or rather the screenshot that appeared on social media, drew criticism from the mainstream media.
Here's a still from Borat's Giuliani scene. You can thank me later. pic.twitter.com/0gJvLeSrds
— Nikora (@MoaVideos) October 21, 2020
Sacha Baron Cohen later decided to defend Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, but did it in a satirical way and dressed as Borat.
In a video posted on Twitter he said the following:
"I here to defend America's Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. What was an innocent sexy time encounter between a consenting man and my 15-year-old daughter has been turned into something disgusting by fake news media. I here to defend America's Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. I warn you. Anyone else tries this and Rudolph will not hesitate to reach into his legal briefs and whip out his subpoenas", he said pronouncing subpoenas like "subpenis".
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM BORAT SAGDIYEV pic.twitter.com/vM92Lam5vV
— Borat (@BoratSagdiyev) October 23, 2020
On 22 October, Trump's lawyer himself issued a statement saying "at no time before, during, or after the interview" were his actions inappropriate and noted that he was tucking in his shirt after taking off the microphone.
(1) The Borat video is a complete fabrication. I was tucking in my shirt after taking off the recording equipment.
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) October 21, 2020
At no time before, during, or after the interview was I ever inappropriate. If Sacha Baron Cohen implies otherwise he is a stone-cold liar.
(2) In fact, the NY Post today reports "it looks to me like an exaggeration through editing."
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) October 21, 2020
As soon as I realized it was a set up I called the police, which has been noted in THR article on July 8th.
Giuliani also said that the whole story is an attempt "to blunt" his attempts to expose criminal actions by Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, referring to reports that Biden was allegedly involved in his son's business dealings in China and Ukraine during his time as vice president.
(3) This is an effort to blunt my relentless exposure of the criminality and depravity of Joe Biden and his entire family.
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) October 21, 2020
Deadline Hollywood reports CAA had a distribution screening in September where there was no mention of the scene holding any importance.
Giuliani is not the only Trump confidante that appears in the sequel of Borat, which is set for release on 23 October. The British comedian pranked Vice President Mike Pence at the Conservative Political Action Conference where he appeared disguised as Trump and carrying a woman in fishnet stockings over his shoulder. "Michael Pennis! I brought a girl for you. Don't worry, I not get jealous! She like Ivanka", Cohen shouted in a strong accent.
Cohen also praised Trump in a satirical video released after the first presidential debate. The comedian called the Republican "the strongest premier in history".
