This Deleted Borat 2 Scene Has Fans Seeing Red
A deleted scene from the recently released Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, the sequel to the 2006 mockumentary Borat, is raising some serious eyebrows. In a clip from Borat's Twitter account, Tutar Sagdiyev — Borat's daughter who is played by Maria Bakalova in the film — can be seen at the White House. "Trump very careful who he let into his events and house," reads the caption of the video. "No Covid test necessary – High 5!"
It appears that the Borat crew may have entered the White House on more than one occasion, as Bakalova can be seen in more than one disguise in the footage. Per Hollywood Life, the Borat crew was at the White House on September 16, while some of the footage is dated September 20. In the footage, Bakalova as Tutar can be seen speaking to Donald Trump Jr. The two stand closer than six feet apart, and neither wears a mask. She can also be seen in the same room as the president in the footage. Again, no one is seen wearing a mask.
If it's true that, as the tweet implies, COVID-19 testing was not necessary for the Borat crew to enter the White House, this calls into question the White House's safety protocols during the pandemic.
Donald Trump is not a fan of Borat
As noted by The Playlist, the deleted scene was filmed just days before the White House event at which President Donald Trump announced his nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court after her heartbreaking death. The event for Amy Coney Barrett has since been called a "superspreader event," as at least 11 people — including the president — tested positive for COVID-19 not long after the event. "Seriously... kinda scary for security reasons," tweeted one fan. "I hope it's not normally this easy to get in."
Steve Herman, the White House bureau chief for Voice of America, tweeted that President Trump had talked about the Borat sequel with reporters as he traveled on Air Force One (via Variety). When asked if he had seen the film and if he was concerned about security breaches, Trump replied "I don't know what happened. But years ago [Borat creator and star Sacha Baron Cohen] tried to scam me and I was the only one who said no way. That's a phony guy and I don't find him funny. To me he's a creep."
Cohen shot back on Twitter, writing, "Donald — I appreciate the free publicity for Borat! I admit, I don't find you funny either. But yet the whole world laughs at you. I'm always looking for people to play racist buffoons, and you'll need a job after Jan. 20. Let's talk!"