Story highlights Bernie Sanders reveals his most unlikely friend in Washington, D.C.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) is the chairman of the upper chamber's Environment and Public Works Committee

(CNN) The secret is out and Bernie Sanders is worried -- not for himself, but his conservative colleague from Oklahoma.

The Vermont senator at the CNN-TV One Democratic town hall on Sunday night revealed he is pals with GOP Sen. James Inhofe, a relationship with a snowball's chance in ... Washington, D.C.

"The irony here is -- and it's not even funny -- is that if I told you the Republican I liked the most it'd probably ruin his political career," Sanders said after some prodding from the CNN's Jake Tapper and the audience at The Ohio State University. "There'll be a 30-second ad -- 'Sanders said he likes this person!'"

Perhaps luckily for Inhofe, who was re-elected with nearly 70% of the vote in 2014, Sanders didn't quite endorse his politics.

"Jim is a climate change denier. He is really, really conservative, but you know what, he is a decent guy and I like him, and he and I are friends," the self-described democratic socialist told Tapper.

Read More