As many social media users can attest, it's always risky to take on a comedian on Twitter. It's a battle of wits with someone who is practically a hardened combat veteran when it comes to taking down hecklers.

But U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's campaign didn't shy away from taking on comedian Patton Oswalt, a celebrity supporter of his would-be opponent in 2020 — and an actual decorated combat veteran — Democrat MJ Hegar.

Hours after Hegar joined the Senate race, Cornyn's campaign began referring to the Democrat as "Hollywood Hegar," in reference to her celebrity backers, including Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, who came to Williamson County last year to help in Hegar's congressional race against Republican John Carter. She lost that race, but continued to have the support of famous names, like Oswalt, who appeared in Hegar's video Tuesday morning announcing her Senate bid.

That's when the Cornyn camp fired the first salvo:

Hollywood Hegar supporter and video guest star, Patton Oswalt, has tweeted some offensive comments over the years, reply A or B to let us know which one is more offensive to you:pic.twitter.com/gXgPvstK6V

— Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn)April 23, 2019

But Oswalt at first played it cool and simply acknowledged his contribution to Hegar's campaign and his endorsement of the candidate:

SO proud to be in this re-introduction of the extraordinary@mjhegar! Go tohttps://t.co/6JTYt9bNJT



SHE’S IN. So are we!https://t.co/oEzrhhLr86

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt)April 23, 2019

Soon, the comedian started to see what the Cornyn campaign was tweeting and he responded with his trademark sarcasm:

Oh my God. Lemme put a nickel in the swear jar and then you can tell me about your crush on Theda Bara, you pointless fossil.https://t.co/iaGaJxCymU

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt)April 23, 2019

That's when the Cornyn campaign escalated its Twitter beef and began pushing out a series of some of Oswalt's more obscenity-laden tweets, as "another reminder that Hollywood Hegar embraces this celebrity."

WARNING: As the Cornyn campaign took great pains to point out, the language gets pretty graphic here on out.

But wait… there’s more! Another reminder that Hollywood Hegar embraces this celebrity:pic.twitter.com/wHgyVNeLUO

— Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn)April 23, 2019

They keep coming...pic.twitter.com/GT2c2W8CGD

— Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn)April 23, 2019

Hollywood Hegar & Vulgar Patton. The dynamic duo:pic.twitter.com/JTh00ozKkR

— Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn)April 23, 2019

Looks like someone skipped a few days of vetting classes.pic.twitter.com/Kp9heJQHAM

— Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn)April 23, 2019

Oswalt, in a barrage of acerbic wisecracks and mockery, unleashed his retorts. Did we mention the graphic language?:

Make sure to vote in Pop-Pop’s “Potty Patton” Poll! The winner gets a bag of Brach’s Sourballs and a Nehi bottle cap!https://t.co/iaGaJxCymU

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt)April 23, 2019

I just noticed: you *****’d the word “penis.” Oh my god you Pepperidge Farm dipshit. Go tell your constituents about the time you babysat Chester A. Arthur, drink your Ensure, and sit down.https://t.co/iaGaJxCymU

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt)April 23, 2019

"Dildo" isn't a word that needs asterisks, Incel Ira. For example, "The dil** that runs@TeamCornyn must hate his life" can be written "The dildo that runs@TeamCornyn must hate his life."#lifehackhttps://t.co/pDCkCNxmrR

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt)April 23, 2019

Oswalt also responded with a throwback to one of Cornyn's more recent controversial tweets, when the Texas Republican quoted Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini:

Guys, don't be some gross, potty-mouthed Twitter fiend like me! Learn from@JohnCornyn, with clean, curse-free Tweets like this one!pic.twitter.com/0Um8FJ4qAx

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt)April 23, 2019

If you're wondering why I'm being gummed by@TeamCornyn, it's because I'm in this ad for the extraordinary@mjhegar.@JohnCornyn is scared shitless -- he won't even debate her -- so this is the straw he's grasping at. Good luck, Pop-Pop!https://t.co/6JTYt9bNJThttps://t.co/oEzrhhLr86

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt)April 23, 2019