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Sacha Baron Cohen Dupes Congressmen in Fake Guns for Kids Scheme

One of the prank's victims later called Baron Cohen "a funny guy because he gets people to say stupid things"

What to Know

  • Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., and Joe Wilson, R-S.C., were shown backing firearms training for kindergarteners

Current and former U.S. lawmakers fell for a prank in Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy show, backing a program that purportedly teaches kindergartners how to defend themselves with guns during school shootings, Reuters reported.

Baron Cohen posed as an Israeli anti-terror expert for the first episode of "Who Is America?," touting a "Kinderguardians" scheme that featured weapons adorned with soft toys for children as young as three.

Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., and Joe Wilson, R-S.C., enthusiastically backed the idea, as did gun rights advocates, former Senate Republican leader Trent Lott and congressman-turned talk radio host Joe Walsh.

Walsh told CNN he was tricked into reading words from a teleprompter but said he's a fan of Baron Cohen, whom he called "a funny guy because he gets people to say stupid things." Rohrabacher, Wilson and Lott didn't reply to requests for comment late Saturday.

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