President Joe Biden was perhaps the most powerful A-lister at the ceremony, but Baron Cohen seized center stage as the boorish and bigoted Borat, the Kazakhstani journalist character he made famous in movies.
Trump’s recent hosting of a dinner with Ye and the Holocaust-denying Nick Fuentes, plus the rapper’s unhinged rants about Jews and declaration of support for Adolf Hitler, provided lots of material for the Jewish comedian.
“I must say I am very upset about the antisemitism in the US and A,” Baron Cohen said in character, per The Guardian. “It is not fair. Kazakhstan is number one Jew-crushing nation. Stop stealing our hobby. Stop the steal! Stop the steal!”
“Your Kanye, he tried to move to Kazakhstan and even changed his name to Kazakhstanye West. But we said no. He too antisemitic, even for us,” Baron Cohen’s Borat added.
The comic, who’s also an activist, sang “With or Without Jews” to the tune of U2′s “With Or Without You.”
“What’s the problem? They loved this at Mar-a-Lago. They chose Without Jews,” Baron Cohen’s Borat sniped.
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Baron Cohen previously poked fun at the former president.
“I am told the president of yours today is here. Where are you, Mr. Trump?,” Baron Cohen said as his alter-ego Borat, per the Daily Mail.
Catching a glimpse of Biden, Borat declared: “You don’t look so good … your big belly is gone. And your pretty orange skin has gone pale.”
Eyeing first lady Jill Biden, Baron Cohen’s Borat observed: “I see you have a new wife. She is very erotic. I must look away before I get a Bono.”
Baron Cohen was honoring U2, for which Bono is the famous frontman. The Kennedy Center Honors will air Dec. 28 on CBS.
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