*By Max Godnick* Sacha Baron Cohen is back. The Golden Globe Award-winning satirist returned to television Sunday night with the premiere of his new series, "Who Is America?" on Showtime. In the debut episode, Cohen goes undercover as four diverse characters from across the political spectrum and interviews notable public figures and everyday Americans about some of the country's most pressing issues. "I think he's exposingーand this would apply to both sidesーthat a lot of the politics in the United States \[are\] really broken," said Judd Legum, editor-in-chief of the newsletter Popular Information, in an interview with Cheddar on Monday. The first installment's centerpiece featured Cohen's new character Erran Morad, a former Israeli commando, convincing current and former Republican lawmakers to endorse a proposal to arm children as young as four years old. The 10-minute segment, which Showtime released for free online, includes former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Rep. Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA), and former congressman Joe Walsh reading a script that promises to turn first graders into "first grenaders" if the policy is adopted. "He's really effectively, in this episode, exposed the fact that there's a lot of people holding very extreme views who are guiding this policy," Legum said of the segment. Cohen set the scene by duping the politiciansーinviting them to receive an award in Washington, D.C., celebrating their support of Israel. "Really, what I think Sacha Baron Cohen does is knows the incentive structure of D.C. politicians," Legum said. "\[He\] knows what they want, gives it to them, and then gets what he wants." Legum added that he thinks the show might be an effective tool to mobilize gun control activists before the midterm elections. Cheddar's Tim Stenovec pushed back on this statement, noting that Cohen's series is on Showtime, a subscription-based cable network with a viewership that traditionally skews left and urban. Legum replied, noting the show's real potential rests on its ability to dominate the conversation on social media. "The power of it is not necessarily in its original format, but as it moves around the internet," he said, observing that the [clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkXeMoBPSDk) of the gun segment already has over four million views on YouTube. Future episodes will include former Vice President Dick Cheney, one-time VP candidate Sarah Palin, and Roy Moore, the former Senate candidate from Alabama whose campaign floundered after allegations surfaced that he engaged in sexual activity with minors. But don't mistake "Who Is America?" for a take-down piece on the right: Sunday night's premiere also included a sharply satirical interview with Senator Bernie Sanders. "Sacha Baron Cohen is an entertainer," Legum said. "I think he would be happy to expose any of those if he could get them to say something ridiculous on television." For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/sacha-baron-cohen-asks-who-is-america-on-showtime)
