Trump's Secret Brilliance Revealed
Why Sacha Baron Cohen says everyone underestimated Donald Trump during their 2003 Ali G encounter.
What the video says
Donald Trump made Sacha Baron Cohen wait 40 minutes. The comedian dusted off his tracksuit for Ali G: Who Is I?, bringing back his iconic character after 20 years.
The new film hits theaters before streaming on Amazon Prime on October 30th. Speaking to Josh Horowitz at New York's 92nd Street Y, Baron Cohen recalled sitting down with global leaders for Da Ali G Show.
He noted that every powerful figure was punctual—except for Donald Trump back in 2003. Waiting inside Trump Tower with director James Boban, Barron Cohen felt thoroughly intimidated.
In the room nearby, Trump was screaming expletives over the phone at Rudy Giuliani, in what Barron Cohen called "a classic power move." Trump initially seemed charmed by Boban, but his entire demeanor changed the second Ali G sat across from him. Reflecting on that encounter decades later, Barron Cohen now understands how Trump captured a second term in the White House.
Barron Cohen admitted that people were far too easy to dismiss Trump as a nincompoop over the years. Barron Cohen said, "There are elements of brilliance to him, otherwise." On the Pivot podcast, he explained that Trump is intentionally funny and uses comedy to dismiss criticism.
He added that figures on the far right leverage sarcasm as an engaging weapon to neutralize public backlash. A passenger riding with Trump after the 2003 shoot revealed that he left the room utterly furious.
Trump lashed out publicly multiple times, which Barron Cohen turned into free promotional footage for his next show.
