Jason Spencer was fooled into appearing on Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who is America?" late Sunday, where he yelled racial epithets and dropped his pants to expose his rear end. The lame duck Georgia state rep’s behavior, as also seen on a YouTube video, led to sharp criticism from fellow Republicans.
Cohen, disguised as supposed Israeli antiterrorism expert Erran Morad, also got Spencer to try various techniques to ward off terrorists, The New York Times reported.
Spencer, who lost a Republican primary in May to Steven Sainz, was to remain a state legislator until after the November election, but Georgia House Speaker David Ralston called on Spencer to resign after Sunday’s cable series segment aired, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
"The actions and language used on this video are reprehensible," Ralston said, WGCL-TV reported. "Rep. Spencer has disgraced himself and should resign immediately. Georgia is better than this.”
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal condemned Spencer on Twitter.
Spencer defended himself to WTOC-TV in Savannah, charging that Cohen took advantage of him knowing that he was fearful following death threats to him and his family after he introduced a bill to ban Muslims from wearing veils in public.
He also alluded to the shooting of Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise in 2017 as another reason for his fear.
"I was in such a poor state of mind that my wife and I also undertook marriage counseling with a licensed therapist during this time," Spencer said. "Sacha Baron Cohen and his associates took advantage of my paralyzing fear that my family would be attacked.”
"In posing as an Israeli agent, he pretended to offer self-defense exercises. As uncomfortable as I was to participate, I agreed to, understanding that these 'techniques' were meant to help me and others fend off what I believe was an inevitable attack. My fears were so heightened at that time, I was not thinking clearly, nor could I appreciate what I was agreeing to when I participated in his 'class.'"
Spencer said he regretted the language he used and apologized to "my family, friends, and the people of my district for this ridiculously ugly episode," but he said he would not resign from office, according to a statement.
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