Former Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, said British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen “duped” her into an interview for his new series “Who is America?” by tricking her into believing he was a disabled U.S. veteran.
Palin described the whole ordeal in a Tuesday Facebook post where she said Cohen disguised himself as a veteran with a “fake wheelchair and all.” She said his actions were “evil,” “exploitive,” and “sick.”
The former vice presidential candidate and one of her daughters, who remained unnamed in the post, flew across the country for a discussion that Palin said was disrespectful to veterans and the U.S. military.
“Out of respect for what I was led to believe would be a thoughtful discussion with someone who had served in uniform, I sat through a long ‘interview’ full of Hollywoodism’s disrespect and sarcasm — but finally had enough and literally, physically removed my mic and walked out, much to Cohen’s chagrin,” Palin said.
She also called for Cohen, CBS, and Showtime, the home of his upcoming show, to air the “heavily edited, not pretty, and intended to humiliate” footage, and donate all the proceeds to a charity that supports U.S. vets.
“The challenge is to Cohen, CBS and Showtime: donate all proceeds to a charitable group that actually respects and supports American Vets,” Palin continued in her lengthy Facebook post. “Mock politicians and innocent public personalities all you want, if that lets you sleep at night, but HOW DARE YOU mock those who have fought and served our country. Truly sick.”
Palin is not the only one to be duped in the midst of the upcoming show. Former Vice President Dick Cheney, Former Democratic N.Y. Gov. Howard Dean, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and more have all be tricked by Cohen for the sake of “Who is America?”
