A week after Ellen DeGeneres got backlash for watching a Dallas Cowboys game with George W. Bush, Twitter is slamming CNN for ending the Democratic debate with a question based on that friendship.

Anderson Cooper first talked about the criticism Ellen received and her response to it, then went on to say, “So in that spirit, we’d like you to tell us about a friendship that you’ve had that would surprise us, what impact it’s had on you and your beliefs.”

The response on Twitter was wide-ranging, but the viewers overwhelmingly thought it was a terrible way to end the debate.

CNN completely wasted the final 20 minutes of the debate on this garbage. #DemDebate — Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) October 16, 2019

Just an atrocious question. These debates are terrible. — Jeff Mustonen📎 (@UWMoose) October 16, 2019

Not one single question about the climate crisis.

Not one single question about the climate crisis.

Not one single question about the climate crisis.



This is the existential crisis of our time. Not one single question, and that’s completely inexcusable. #DemDebate — Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) October 16, 2019

Many viewers, including former candidate Jay Inslee, admonished the fact that important issues like climate change were ignored by the debate panel, a sentiment that candidate Julian Castro lamented following the debate.

“We talked about Ellen at the end,” Castro told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes. “And I know what the point of the question was, but we keep leaving these huge issues that impact families off of the question agenda at these debates, and really it’s journalistic malpractice to do that.”

The majority of the candidates answered by naming a Republican colleague, something that did not sit well with some viewers.

Listen to all these Dems bragging about their friendships with strident, Trump-defending Republicans. Those Republicans would never claim your friendship on a debate stage. #DemDebate — Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) October 16, 2019

Andrew Yang on the other hand, was praised for not naming a politician, instead choosing to name a Trump-supporting truck driver who, after spending a few hours with Yang, became a Yang supporter.

Fire closing from Yang. Only candidate who chose a real person and not some famous friend as having the biggest impact on him! Brilliant answer from @AndrewYang #DemDebate #yanggang #bingandrewyang — Tatted Lawyer 🧢 (@MichaelSatoshi) October 16, 2019

For more on the Democratic debate go to CNN.com.

Watch a Fox News host praise CNN and MSNBC hosts after being inspired by Ellen and George W. Bush:

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