In Tuesday night’s three-hour debate, moderator Anderson Cooper never found time to ask about issues Democrats hold dear, like climate change and immigration and LGBT rights.

But he did take time to ask a question about … Ellen DeGeneres?

“Last week, Ellen DeGeneres was criticized after she and former President George W. Bush were seen laughing together at a football game. Ellen defended their friendship, saying, ‘We’re all different and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s OK, that we’re all different,’” Cooper said to the 12 candidates vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“So in that spirit, we’d like you to tell us about a friendship that you’ve had that would surprise us and what impacts it’s had on you and your beliefs,” he said.

TRENDING: BREAKING: Multiple Injuries After Car Plows Through Crowd of Trump Supporters in Yorba Linda, California (VIDEO)

The question went over like a lead balloon.

“Three hours and no questions tonight about climate, housing, or immigration,” candidate Julian Castro wrote on Twitter. “Climate change is an existential threat. America has a housing crisis. Children are still in cages at our border. But you know, Ellen.”

Three hours and no questions tonight about climate, housing, or immigration. Climate change is an existential threat. America has a housing crisis. Children are still in cages at our border. But you know, Ellen.#DemocraticDebate — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) October 16, 2019

Sen. Kamala Harris also ripped the question.

“Three hours. Not one question about the climate crisis. Not one question about LGBTQ+ rights. Not one question about immigration. These issues are too important to ignore. #DemDebate,” she wrote.

Three hours. Not one question about the climate crisis. Not one question about LGBTQ+ rights. Not one question about immigration. These issues are too important to ignore. #DemDebate — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 16, 2019

Trevor Noah of “The Daily Show” also mocked the question.

When you’re eight hours into the debate and Anderson Cooper asks a question about Ellen pic.twitter.com/19orEhk50U — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 16, 2019

DeGeneres, the famed daytime talk show host, and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, were invited to a Dallas Cowboys game by Charlotte Jones, daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Former president George W. Bush, who has a home in Dallas, also attended, sitting in the owners box.

When she posted a picture, Twitter blew up, with liberals shaming her for sitting next to Bush.

But DeGeneres fired back.

“People were upset,” DeGeneres says in a segment set to air on her show Tuesday. “They thought, ‘Why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?’ … A lot of people were mad, and they did what people do when they’re mad: They tweet.”

She explains that people can be friends, even if they have differing views on politics.

“I’m friends with George Bush,” DeGeneres said. “In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have.”

DeGeneres joked that she knew before she went that there would people there with different views.

“When we were invited, I was aware that I was going to be surrounded with people from very different views and beliefs. And I’m not talking about politics… I was rooting for the Packers,” DeGeneres said. “So I had to hide my cheese hat in Portia’s purse.”

And she added that people should simply be more kind.

“Just because I don’t agree with someone on everything doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be friends with them,” she said. “When I say be kind to one another, I don’t mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone.”

Bush’s spokesman, Freddy Ford, told Fox News on Tuesday: “President and Mrs. Bush really enjoyed being with Ellen and Portia (de Rossi) and appreciated Ellen’s comments about respecting one another. They respect her. “