--- title: Lawmakers Support Arming Kids on Cohen's Who Is America description: A number of lawmakers support arming children as young as four years old in a clip from Sacha Baron Cohen’s new show “Who is America?” canonical: https://time.com/5339648/who-is-america-sacha-baron-cohen-republican-lawmakers-arming-kids/ author: Billy Perrigo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-07-16T14:23:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T20:51:34.922Z article:section: Politics og:title: Sacha Baron Cohen Duped Lawmakers to Support Arming Kids og:description: For his new satire show 'Who Is America?' og:url: https://time.com/5339648/who-is-america-sacha-baron-cohen-republican-lawmakers-arming-kids/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd3c09839a14be40/6989356ae76ad2494a63280b/who-is-america.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Sacha Baren Cohen og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Sacha Baron Cohen Duped Lawmakers to Support Arming Kids twitter:description: For his new satire show 'Who Is America?' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd3c09839a14be40/6989356ae76ad2494a63280b/who-is-america.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Pro-Gun Lawmakers Support Fictional Program to Arm Toddlers on Sacha Baron Cohen’s New Satire Show > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Jul 16, 2018 2:23 PM UTC  Sacha Baron Cohen attends the "Hugo" premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre on November 21, 2011 in New York City. Sacha Baron Cohen attends the "Hugo" premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre on November 21, 2011 in New York City. Astrid Stawiarz—Getty Images  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Jul 16, 2018 2:23 PM UTC A number of Republican lawmakers and gun rights activists are seen expressing support for arming children as young as four years old in a new clip from _Who Is America?,_ comedian [Sacha Baron Cohen’s](http://time.com/5335212/sarah-palin-pranked-sacha-baron-cohen/) new satire show. Cohen, posing in disguise as an Israeli gun-rights activist, duped current and former Republican lawmakers Trent Lott, Dana Rohrabacher, Joe Wilson and Joe Walsh into supporting his fictional “Kinder Guardians” program. Cohen first sits down with Matt Gaetz, a Republican congressman from Florida, who refuses to endorse the fictional program to give assault weapons to kindergarteners. “Typically members of Congress don’t hear a story about a program and then indicate whether they support it or not,” he says. The clip immediately cuts to former Senate majority leader Trent Lott saying “I support the Kinder Guardians program.” “A three year-old cannot defend itself from a assault rifle by throwing a Hello Kitty pencil case at it,” then says Joe Wilson, a Republican congressman from South Carolina. “Our founding fathers did not put an age limit on the Second Amendment.” Wilson later [told](https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/republican-lawmakers-make-a-pitch-for-arming-toddlers-in?utm%5Fterm=.dukq9OaDj#.qgBrYZ7wv) BuzzFeed News of his appearance in the show: “I was targeted due to my strong support of Israel and my open-door office policy.” Also in the clip is former congressman Joe Walsh. “The intensive three-week Kinder Guardian course introduces specially selected children from 12 to four years old, to pistols, rifles, semi-automatics and a rudimentary knowledge of mortars,” says Walsh. Walsh later tweeted: “Sacha Baron Cohen got me. Do I believe kindergarteners should be armed? Hell no.” > [](https://twitter.com/WalshFreedom/status/1018481114158194688) Cohen also roped in gun lobbyists, including Larry Pratt, the executive director of Gun Owners of America. He asked Pratt: “Do you think the liberals are using these school shootings to further their anti-tragedy agenda?” Pratt replies: “They’re trying.” Addressing the camera, Pratt later says: “Toddlers are pure, uncorrupted by fake news or homosexuality. They don’t worry if it’s politically correct to shoot a mentally deranged gunman. They’ll just do it.” Cohen also convinces Philip van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizen’s Defense League, to help make an educational video showing preschoolers how to use weapons. “Today we’re going to teach you how you can stop these naughty men and have them take a long nap,” Cleave says. The pair then display a selection of guns dressed up as children’s toys, from the “Puppy Pistol” all the way to the “Uzicorn” and the “Rocket-Ship RPG.” At no point does Cleave appear to realize the show is satirical. “Aim at the head, shoulders, not the toes,” he sings. Cohen is known for playing parody characters, including Borat and Ali G. His new series _Who is America?_ is seven-episodes long, and features the comedian playing four characters, including Israeli Colonel Erran Morad. 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