Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen admitted the purpose of his film’s sequel, which was released shortly before the 2020 presidential election, was to “deliver a message” on the “dangers of voting for Trump.”
The British comedian reprised his role as a journalist from Kazakhstan in the sequel, putting former President Trump and his supporters at the center of the film. He admitted in an interview with the Sun the film, and the timing of its release, was meant to send a message to the American people ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
“The aim of the movie is to deliver a message. That’s the reason why Borat came out when it did,” he explained.
“I thought the thing I can do to warn people is to use my funniest character, my most popular character, to show what I thought the dangers of voting for Trump were. I felt democracy was at a very dangerous point,” Cohen continued, explaining he is taking a break, as Trump is now out of office.
“There’s nothing up next. It’s been a busy year. Donald Trump is out and I want a break,” The Dictator actor said.
The nature of the film came as no surprise, as the Who Is America star has remained a vocal opponent of former President Trump. In 2019, for example, the British comedian declared that democracy itself was “being disintegrated” under Trump’s leadership. He also placed blame on Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, who has since barred Trump’s personal account from the platform.
“It [the internet] allows people who are spreading lies to actually seem like they’re legitimate. Trump without Twitter probably would not have become president, which is why Jack Dorsey is in the White House, having a meeting with Trump,” Cohen said during the interview with Hollywood star Don Cheadle. “He’s sitting across the president, who’s actually the biggest celebrity endorser of his corporation. And Jack Dorsey and Twitter cannot implement any restrictions against white supremacists or racists.”
“Democracy is being disintegrated, and that’s terrifying to me,” he continued. “And I’m going to say all of this with the caveat that I’m a comedian. I don’t really know what I’m talking about, but this is the stuff that’s going through my head.”
Earlier this month, Cohen called on Google to kick Trump off YouTube:
YouTube subsequently suspended Trump’s account and later extended the ban “in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence.”