A Democratic senator knocked NBC News's debate questions Thursday, accusing the network's moderators of spending time on frivolous questions rather than allowing all candidates to answer questions related to climate change.

Sen. Brian Schatz Brian Emanuel SchatzCDC causes new storm by pulling coronavirus guidance Overnight Health Care: CDC pulls revised guidance on coronavirus | Government watchdog finds supply shortages are harming US response | As virus pummels US, Europe sees its own spike Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral MORE (D-Hawaii) tweeted sarcastically that allowing all 10 of Wednesday night's Democratic debate participants to speak about climate policy would have cut into the "game show"-like yes-or-no questions asked by moderator Chuck Todd Charles (Chuck) David ToddMurkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Republican senator says plans to confirm justice before election 'completely consistent with the precedent' Sunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response MORE and others.

"It is just not reasonable to expect to have enough time for a climate question that every candidate answers," Schatz wrote. "That would eat in to the time set aside for them raise their hands for yes/no questions like it’s a game show."

It is just not reasonable to expect to have enough time for a climate question that every candidate answers. That would eat in to the time set aside for them raise their hands for yes/no questions like it’s a game show. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 27, 2019

Wednesday night's debate featured shorter-answer questions from Todd and other moderators, who prompted the candidates to raise their hands to indicate support for specific health care policies, give one-word answers to describe America's greatest geopolitical threat and other questions that received some criticism on social media for discouraging nuanced answers.

ADVERTISEMENT

Schatz followed up his tweet by retweeting a Twitter user who mocked the form of NBC's questions in a reply to Schatz, tweeting: "In one word, based on the current geopolitical threat, which character from Friends are you?"