Sacha Baron Cohen's anti-terror expert Erran Morad was back for the third episode of his fiery new show, "Who Is America?".
For Sunday's episode of the Showtime series, Cohen's Morad interviewed unsuccessful Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore. Moore lost the special election last December to Democrat Doug Jones in GOP-friendly Alabama largely because of accusation leveled at Moore from multiple women who allege Moore pursued sexual or romantic relationships with them when they were teenagers and he was a prosecutor in his 30s. In April, Moore filed a lawsuit against several women who publicly accused the former judge of past sexual misconduct. Moore has denied any wrongdoing.
During their chat, Cohen dressed as Morad, introduced a piece of "technology" to Moore, which he said would help detect sex offenders. As Cohen explained it: "It turns out that sex offenders and particularly pedophiles secrete an enzyme for DDHT, which is actually detectable. It is three times the level of non-perverts, so the phrase 'sweating like a rapist' is actually based on science. In Israel they've developed a machine that is used in schools and playgrounds to detect anyone coming in, and if they detect the pedophile, the wand alerts the law enforcement and schools within a hundred-mile radius."
Cohen took out the gadget and ran it over himself. When he demonstrated it on Moore, it began to beep.
"It's malfunctioning," Cohen said, before trying the wand out on another person onset. When it didn't beep, he returned his attention to Moore. "Is this your jacket?" Cohen asked. "Did you lend the jacket to somebody else, maybe?"
"No," Moore responded. "I've been married for 33 (years) and never had an accusation of such things."
"I'm not accusing you at all," Cohen refuted.
Moore, discrediting the gadget and declared: "certainly I'm not a pedophile." He then said he was cutting off the interview.
"It's been nice. I support Israel. I don't support this kind of stuff," Moore said before walking out.
USA TODAY has reached out to Moore for comment. He released a statement on July 12 about the interview, which was shared to a "Stand with Judge Roy Moore" Facebook page.
"In February 2018, I was invited to Washington D. C. to receive an award for my strong support of Israel in commemoration of her 70th anniversary as a nation," the statement reads. "Because Alabama has always been at the forefront of support of Israel and because I share a strong belief in God as the Creator and Sustainer of all life, as does Israel, I eventually accepted the invitation. Expenses were paid, and I received no private remuneration for my time or participation. I did not know Sacha Cohen or that a Showtime TV series was being planned to embarrass, humiliate, and mock not only Israel, but also religious conservatives such as Sarah Palin, Joe Walsh, and Dick Cheney."
"I don't need Sacha Cohen to tell me who America is, but I can tell him that America is a proud Nation which sprang from humble beginnings and a strong belief in God, virtue, and morality," the statement continues.
"As an American, I would never hide my identity and deceive others only to mock and ridicule them as this Showtime Series is designed to do," Moore adds. "America is not only about being proud but about being brave and standing for what we believe.
"I am involved in several court cases presently to defend my honor and character against vicious false political attacks by liberals like Cohen. If Showtime airs a defamatory attack on my character, I may very well be involved in another."
Stemming from backlash resulting from the second episode of "Who Is America?" Jason Spencer resigned from the Georgia legislature. During the episode, Spencer repeatedly yelled the n-word and used a fake Chinese accent.
Contributing: William Cummings
WFTV
