Borat is back! Sacha Baron Cohen returned as his iconic character at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night (via The Guardian) to eviscerate Kanye West for his outspoken antisemitism. Baron Cohen attended the Kennedy Center Honors to pay tribute to U2, but he used his time to bring Borat back to life and also poke fun at President Joe Biden, who was also in attendance at the prestigious event.
“I know the president of U.S. and A is here,” Borat said. “Where are you, Mr. Trump?”
More from Variety
Addressing Biden directly, Borat said, “You don’t look so good. Where has your glorious big belly gone? And your pretty orange skin has become pale… But I see you have a new wife. Wawa-woooah! She is very erotic. I must look away before I get a Bono.”
“Before I proceed, I will say I am very upset about the antisemitism in U.S. and A,” Borat continued. “It not fair. Kazakhstan is No. 1 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.”
Borat proceeded to sing a parody version of U2’s classing song “With or Without You,” changing the lyrics to “with or without Jews.” The character added, “What’s the problem? They loved this at Mar-a-Lago. They chose ‘without Jews.’”
Baron Cohen joins a handful of celebrities speaking out against West for his antisemitic comments in recent weeks. West praised Hitler during a Dec. 1 interview on Alex Jones’ “Infowars” talk show, leading Biden himself to declare on social media, “The Holocaust happened. Hitler was a demonic figure. And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity.”
Just before Baron Cohen took the stage at the Kennedy Center Honors, Oscar winner Natalie Portman used social media to condemn antisemitism. Portman did not mention West by name, but her statement arrived amid extreme backlash against West for his recent praising of Hitler.
“Seeing the re-emergence of antisemitism makes my heart drop,” Portman wrote. “This hatred must be combatted with boundless love for each other. Today, I send extra love to my fellow Jews. And I send love to all those standing with us against these violent words and actions. It’s been painful and frightening to listen to, and I’m extremely grateful to those who continue to speak up against antisemitism with us, and against all forms of racism.”
Borat’s appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors will be released during the event’s CBS special at a later date.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
