Sacha Baron Cohen has responded to Donald Trump after the US president called him a “creep” over the new Borat sequel.
The comedian replied over the weekend in a Twitter post, which read: “Donald – I appreciate the free publicity for Borat! I admit I don’t find you funny either. But yet the whole world laughs at you.”
He added: “I’m always looking for people to play racist buffoons, and you’ll need a job after 20 January. Let’s talk!”
Trump called Baron Cohen a “creep” after he was asked by reporters whether he had seen his personal attorney Rudy Guiliani’s controversial appearance in Borat 2.
As has been widely reported, Baron Cohen’s comedy Borat Subsequent Moviefilm features a lengthy scene in which Giuliani is filmed in a compromising situation with Borat’s daughter, Tutar (played by Maria Bakalova).
Asked about the clip, Trump told reporters on Air Force One: “I don't know what happened. But years ago, you know, [Baron Cohen] tried to scam me. And I was the only one who said no way.”
The president added: “That's a phoney guy. And I don’t find him funny.”
“To me, he was a creep,” Trump said, according to a tweet from Voice of America news reporter Steve Herman.
Guiliani has also addressed the controversy, claiming that the clip is “a complete fabrication”. In a tweet, he wrote: “I was tucking in my shirt after taking off the recording equipment."
The scene in question shows Guiliani being “interviewed” by Borat’s daughter Tutar, after which she invites him up to her hotel room for a “drink”.
In the room, which is rigged with hidden cameras, Giuliani is seen reclining on a bed as he fiddles with his shirt and reaches into his trousers, in the presence of Bakalova.
They are then interrupted by Borat, who bursts into the room shouting: “She’s 15. She’s too old for you.”
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was released on Friday 23 October on Amazon Prime Video.
