Several members of the US Republican Party became the subjects of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest provocative prank involving teaching toddlers how to use guns.

In the first look of his new show, Who is America?, Baron Cohen posed as an Israeli anti-terror expert, Colonel Erran Morad, who gets two US Congressmen to support a fake scheme called “Kinderguardians” for children as young as three.

The video of the prank included a spoof informercial featuring guns that had soft toys on them so they would appeal to children and assist them to tackle mass shootings. The lawmakers were seen buying into the British comedian’s clever ruse and offered their support for the programme by reading off a prompter, enthusiastically endorsing the idea.

Here’s how one pranked politician explained what happened: