Just hours ahead of Sunday night’s Showtime premiere of Who Is America?, a ten-minute teaser dropped, featuring its star, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen disguised as Col. Erran Morad, an Israeli anti-terror expert with an answer to America’s scourge of deadly mass shootings: arming kids.

As it turns out, Kinder-Guardians, the name for the fictional program to get guns into the hands of children under age 7, garnered supportive on-camera statements from a handful of Republican politicians.

“A 3-year-old cannot defend itself from an assault rifle by throwing a Hello Kitty pencil case at it,” says Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC). “The Founding Fathers didn’t put an age limit on the Second Amendment.”

Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott also said he was on board, calling the plan one that “America would be wise to implement.”

“It’s something we should think about in America, about putting guns in the hands of law abiding citizens, good guys, whether they be teachers or whether they actually be talented children or highly trained preschoolers,” he says.

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping statement of approval came from former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh, who now says he was tricked into reading it from a teleprompter.

Walsh proudly pitches the weapons training course, speaking into the camera with confidence.

“The intensive three-week Kinder-Guardian course introduces specially selected children from 12 to 4 years old to pistols, rifles, semiautomatics and a rudimentary knowledge of mortars,” Walsh says. “In less than a month—less than a month—a first-grader can become a first grenade-er.”

“Happy shooting, kids,” he adds.

Walsh spoke out about the ordeal on CNN Sunday, telling the network he was asked to read a statement “talking about some of the innovative products that Israel invented,” which included a story about a 4-year-old in Israel who defended his classroom from a terrorist invasion by grabbing the attacker’s gun and keeping him at baythat was an example of how Israel trains and arms preschool kids on how to use firearms, and boy shouldn’t we do that in America?”

While reading it, Walsh recalled thinking, “Well, this is kind of crazy, but it is Israel and Israel is strong on defense,” but that it wasn’t until later that he “found out this whole thing was made up.”

Walsh also beefed up his defense on Twitter, denouncing the idea of arming kids.

What can I say Bradley? @SachaBaronCohen got me. Do I believe kindergarteners should be armed? Hell no. But, it’s on me. Sacha fooled me good. Flew me out to DC for some made up friend of Israel award. I gotta live with it. https://t.co/r4juubOG9l — Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 15, 2018

While others were duped by Baron Cohen’s antics, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) didn’t appear to be.

During an odd interaction between the comedian’s Morad character and Gaetz in the politician’s office, he refuses to comment on whether Kinder-Guardians has his support.

“You want me to say on television that I support 3 and 4-year-olds with firearms? Is that what you’re asking me to do?” he wonders, neither backing nor rejecting the idea.

“Uhh, yes,” Baron Cohen replies.

“Hmm,” Gaetz says, noting that he wouldn’t offer an opinion on a proposal immediately after hearing it.

Watch the teaser above, via Showtime.

[Image via screengrab]

Follow Amy Russo on Twitter: @amymrusso

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