'Utterly shameful': Pete Davidson called out for mocking a congressional candidate who lost an eye in Afghanistan

Pete Davidson hasn’t pissed off just Ariana Grande recently.

The Saturday Night Live comedian was called out over the weekend for making fun of Republican congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw for wearing an eye patch during a segment on Davidson’s first impressions of midterm candidates.

“You may be surprised to learn he’s a congressional candidate from Texas and not a hitman in a pοrnο movie,” Davidson said about Crenshaw. “I’m sorry. I know he lost his eye in war or whatever.”

Crenshaw is a retired lieutenant commander and former Navy SEAL who lost his right eye in Afghanistan after he was hit by an IED explosion. After the blast, he was initially blind in his left eye but regained his sight after several surgeries, according to his campaign site.

Crenshaw, who’s running for Congress in Texas’s Second Congressional District, tweeted about Davidson’s joke on Sunday, saying he hopes SNL recognizes that veterans’ injuries aren’t a punch line. He later told Fox & Friends that the joke simply wasn’t funny, but he doesn’t necessarily think Davidson owes him an apology.

National Republican Campaign Committee spokesman Jack Pandol speculated that Davidson was acting out because of his recent split with Grande.

“Getting dumped by your pop star girlfriend is no excuse for lashing out at a decorated war hero who lost his eye serving our country,” Jack Pandol said in a statement. “Pete Davidson and NBC should immediately apologize to Dan and to the millions of veterans and military families who tune in every weekend — because they’re not laughing.”

Davidson attempted to address the issue of his breakup after the skit mocking the appearance of congressional candidates, telling SNL viewers that “sometimes things just don’t work out, and that’s OK.”

Regardless, other Republicans agreed with Pandol that Crenshaw deserved an apology,

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who lost both her legs while serving as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, also spoke out about what she called an “absolutely appalling” joke. She said, “no one should ever mock a veteran” for their injuries.

Fellow comedian and SNL cast member Kenan Thompson said Monday morning that Davidson’s joke “missed the mark,” though he also explained that it can be difficult for comedians to make jokes without offending anyone.

“My father is a veteran, Vietnam, and I personally would never necessarily go there,” Thompson said on the Today show. “But it’s tough when you’re fishing for jokes. That’s how standups feel.”

Others pointed out that the president repeatedly mocked Sen. John McCain, also a war veteran, who died in August.

Davidson has not publicly apologized for the joke.

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