Showtime
Spencer appeared on "Who is America?"
- Lawmaker Jason Cohen yelled the N-word, exposed himself and posed as a tourist taking upskirt photos on Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who is America?"
- Cohen was pretending to be an Israeli counter-terror expert, giving Spencer a fictional lesson in fighting off terrorists.
- Spencer issued a statement explaining himself to The Washington Post, where he said he was motivated to learn self-defense because he gets many death threats.
- He also admitted he was "not thinking clearly" during the mock lesson, was "distracted by my fears" and "deeply regret[s]" his language.
- Scroll down to read the full statement.
A Georgia lawmaker who yelled the N-word and bared his butt in an effort to "fight off terrorists" on Sacha Baron Cohen's new TV show has sought to explain his actions.
In a long statement addressing the footage, Jason Spencer said Cohen took advantage of his "paralyzing fear" that his family would be attacked, and manipulated him into humiliating himself.
In the episode of the show, "Who is America?," which broadcast on Sunday, Cohen adopted the disguise of an Israeli counter-terror expert.
Under this guise he gave Spencer, a Republican state representative in Georgia, a fictional on-camera lesson in fighting off terrorists.
Showtime
Spencer ran buttocks-first in an attempt to learn a "technique" to scare off ISIS terrorists.
The segment included ridiculous advice, such distinguishing terrorists from non-terrorists by using a selfie stick to take upskirt photographs of people wear a burka.
Another "technique" saw him prompt Spencer to scream the N-word in order to "attract attention" to save himself from kidnap.
Lastly, Cohen recommended scaring off ISIS terrorists by running towards them buttocks-first in a bid to turn them into a "homosexual."
Spencer went along with these techniques, donning a fake Chinese accent as he pretended to be a tourist and running towards Cohen with his buttocks exposed, yelling "Murica."
Here is the segment in full:
Amid backlash for his actions on the show, Spencer texted a response to The Washington Post, where he said that he was acting in response to fear for the lives of him and his family. He claimed that he had received "countless" death threats and that the shooting at members of Congress as they played baseball in June 2017 intensified his fears.
He claimed that Cohen and his team took advantage of these fears. Spencer said that he was "uncomfortable" participating, but wanted to learn techniques to protect himself.
Spencer has faced calls to resign from his position and criticism from his own party, including from Republican governor for Georgia Nathan Deal. Spencer told The Washington Post that he intends to finish the last five months of his term. He lost his primary contest in May, so will have to leave office anyway.
Spencer is one of a host of Republican lawmakers who have made controversial statements on the show - and many have later claimed that they were "duped."
On the same episode, former Vice President Dick Cheney autographed a "waterboarding kit."
In a previous episode, a group of current and former Republican lawmakers advocated the idea of arming children in kindergarten.
Here is Spencer's statement to The Washington Post in full:
"In 2017 I received countless death threats in connection with my introduction of legislation involving the wearing of masks. The threats escalated to the point that my wife received threatening phone calls concerning her and my children. I was very afraid for my safety and the safety of my entire family.
"Then, on June 14th, a gunman opened fire at members of Congress on a baseball field. I knew people on that field. Now, the fears I already had became more intensified as the reality of my family being targeted by a similar, deranged, would-be assassin became even more possible. 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.
"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 believed 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.' I was told I would be filmed as a 'demonstration video' to teach others the same skills in Israel. Sacha and his crew further lied to me, stating that I would be able to review and have final approval over any footage used.
"I deeply regret the language I used at his request as well as my participation in the 'class' in general. If I had not been so distracted by my fears, I never would have agreed to participate in the first place.
"I apologize to my family, friends, and the people of my district for this ridiculously ugly episode. Finally, there are calls for me to resign. I recently lost my primary election, so I will not eligible to hold office next term. Therefore, I will finish the remaining five months at my post and vacate my seat."
The actions and language used by Jason Spencer are appalling and offensive. There is no excuse for this type of behavior, ever, and I am saddened and disgusted by it.
- Governor Nathan Deal (@GovernorDeal) July 23, 2018