Ali G star Sacha Baron Cohen feels that there are “elements of brilliance” to US President Donald Trump that makes the maverick politician appeal to the public.
Sacha Baron Cohen feels that Donald Trump has “elements of brilliance” about him.
The 55-year-old star interviewed the US President in character as Ali G for TV series Da Ali G Show back in 2003 and believes that the maverick politician is “underestimated” by many.
Sacha told the Happy Sad Confused podcast: “I mean, how has he survived a second term? People underestimated him.
“We were too easy to dismiss him as a nincompoop. There are elements of brilliance to him, otherwise.
“And that explains his appeal with the fact that he’s there for a second term, the fact that he’s transforming this country. I won’t say positively or negatively.”
Baron Cohen recalled how Trump was impressed by director James Bobin but his mood “immediately” changed when he discovered he would be talking to Ali G instead.
The Borat star said: “I actually met a woman who was in the car with him after that interview, and he was apparently furious.
“He actually went out publicly a couple of times to criticise me. And in the end, we used all those clips and used them to advertise another show that I did.”
Sacha – who has reprised his role as Ali G for the new movie Ali G: Who Iz I? – previously described Trump as “amusing” and claimed that there’s “a huge amount of comedy in the way he speaks”.
He explained on the Pivot podcast: “He’s intentionally being funny.
“And if you have a look on the far right, they use comedy and sarcasm as an engaging way to dismiss criticisms.”
Meanwhile, Sacha recently explained that he has decided to resurrect Ali G because the character is “outdated and problematic”.
The Bruno actor told Time magazine: “The fact that Ali G is outdated and problematic is the very reason I resurrected him.
“The world he’s returned to is, in many ways, worse than the one he left 20 years ago. All the prejudices my characters are designed to expose haven’t just lingered – they’ve metastasised. They’re fuelled by the greatest propaganda machine in history – social media – and now by its monstrous child, AI.”
Sacha observed that bigoted attitudes have “gone mainstream” since he last appeared as Ali G.
The comedy star said: “Back when I first created Borat, it took a few minutes – or a few drinks – to get people to reveal the racism that often simmered below the surface.
“Now, those views have gone mainstream – whether it’s fans hurling slurs and abuse at black players during the World Cup or hundreds of white nationalists marching through Washington, D.C., on July 4.”
Sacha Baron Cohen: Donald Trump has elements of brilliance
