Kenan Thompson says Pete Davidson 'definitely missed the mark' on his controversial joke about a congressional candidate who lost his eye fighting in Afghanistan
- On the "Today" show Monday morning, Kenan Thompson was asked about a joke his "Saturday Night Live" castmate Pete Davidson made over the weekend that has been receiving a lot of backlash.
- On Saturday, Davidson mocked the appearance of Texas Congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw, who lost an eye during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
- Weighing in on the controversy, Thompson said he thought Davidson "definitely missed the mark" with the joke.
Kenan Thompson refused to defend a controversial joke his "Saturday Night Live" castmate Pete Davidson made over the weekend.
Davidson stirred up controversy during a segment on Weekend Update on Saturday, when he made fun of the appearance of Texas Congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw, who lost an eye during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Davidson commented that he looked like "a hit man in a porno movie." When the joke didn't land, he laughed it off, saying "I'm sorry, I know he lost his eye in war or whatever."
The joke made headlines over the weekend, with many calling for Davidson to apologize to Crenshaw.
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So when his castmate Thompson appeared on the "Today" show Monday morning, to promote a new film, he was asked to weigh in on the scandal.
"He definitely missed the mark," Thompson said, adding that it was an "unfortunate outcome."
As the son of a Vietnam war veteran, Thompson said, "I personally wouldn't ever necessarily go there."
But he said it's difficult for stand-up comedians to make jokes about serious subjects.
"They're the ones that help us laugh through the most awful things in the first place, so they're always fishing in weird places," he said.
'Getting dumped by your pop star girlfriend is no excuse for lashing out at a decorated war hero'
The backlash came from both sides. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, was among those who called Davidson out for the joke, saying it was "absolutely appalling."
"No one should ever mock a Veteran for the wounds they received while defending our great nation, regardless of political party or what you think of their politics. Pete Davidson owes Dan Crenshaw an apology," Duckworth tweeted on Monday.
The National Republican Congressional Committee said Davidson should "immediately" apologize to Crenshaw and to all veterans in a statement Sunday morning, because "they're not laughing."
"Getting dumped by your pop star girlfriend is no excuse for lashing out at a decorated war hero who lost his eye serving his country," NRCC spokesman Jack Pandol said.
Despite the public outcry over the joke, Crenshaw told TMZ on Sunday that he doesn't think that Davidson owes him an apology.
"I want us to get away from this culture where we demand apologies every time someone misspeaks," Crenshaw said.
He also tweeted: "Good rule in life: I try hard not to offend; I try harder not to be offended. That being said, I hope @nbcsnl recognizes that vets don't deserve to see their wounds used as punchlines for bad jokes."
In addition to mocking politicians, Davidson also took the time to insult his own appearance. Watch the full "SNL" clip below: