Before giving an uncharacteristically mature statement on his breakup with Ariana Grande during Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, Pete Davidson poked some fun at some candidates running in the midterm elections. And by “poke some fun” we mean he said Gov. Rick Scott running for reelection in Florida looks like “someone tried to whittle Bruce Willis out of a penis” and that Mike’s Pence’s brother Greg Pence was running as a “faith-based conservative and not a Ken doll that spent a year in a river.”

Cheap shots? For sure, but funny nonetheless. People weren’t laughing, however, when he got around to Navy SEAL veteran Dan Crenshaw, who is running for Texas second Congressional District. Crenshaw lost his eye in the line of duty and as a result, wears and eye-patch.

“This guy’s kinda cool, Dan Crenshaw,” Davidson joked, breaking out into laughter. “You may be surprised to hear he’s a congressional candidate from Texas, and not a hit man in a porno movie,” he continued before adding, “I’m sorry I know he lost his eye in war, or whatever.”

Now, you can’t make the argument that Davidson himself doesn’t understand sacrifice, since his father was a New York City firefighter who died in service on 9/11, after all. That said, making fun of a United States military veteran’s war injuries are about as off limits as it gets.

Crenshaw tweeted about the joke on Sunday, offering a measured response:

Good rule in life: I try hard not to offend; I try harder not to be offended. That being said, I hope @nbcsnl recognizes that vets don’t deserve to see their wounds used as punchlines for bad jokes. — Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) November 4, 2018

“I want us to get away from this culture where we demand apologies every time someone misspeaks,” he likewise told TMZ, adding that he doesn’t think veterans injuries should be the punchline of jokes and that it was mean spirited and unfunny.

Yet, that didn’t quell the outrage machine as many conservatives and liberals alike took to Twitter to lash out:

Dan Crenshaw was nearly blinded in 2012 when he was hit by an IED blast in Afghanistan's Helmand province, where he was on his third deployment. He lost his right eye in the blast, and his left eye was badly damaged. Shame on you, @nbcsnl, this is disgusting! pic.twitter.com/VQnhXMa6iT — The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) November 4, 2018

Pete Davidson mocking GOP candidate Dan Crenshaw because he wears an eyepatch after he lost right eye in an IED blast as a Navy SEAL was truly abhorrent and rotten to the core. And the fact that so-called "joke" was approved by an entire staff of writers is horrific. #SNL — Joseph A. Wulfsohn (@JosephWulfsohn) November 4, 2018

Pete Davidson's "joke" was gross and never OK to joke about. Period. That said, Tuesday's SO much bigger for vets than a line on SNL. It's about a GOP that wants to privatize our VA. It's about the 1-in-10 vets who depend on Medicaid, that GOP wants to cut, and more. So, VOTE! — VoteVets (@votevets) November 4, 2018

"lost his eye in war or whatever."….. this is @snl – they address a cast members breakup as if it's of vital importance. but laugh at a vet. https://t.co/4xoMLCKWTH — GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) November 4, 2018

Thank you for your service It’s sad that Pete Davidson and @nbcsnl don’t recognize what you have sacrificed. That said, you will be a welcome addition to the US House https://t.co/nLS6Jp8WYd — Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) November 4, 2018

Totally cheap, disgusting and classless of SNL to have Pete Davidson mock Dan Crenshaw for wearing an eye patch…then giggle that he was injured in the line of duty.@DanCrenshawTX is a Navy SEAL and hero who lost his eye in an IED attack in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/7VbMohQ3t2 — Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) November 4, 2018

On the other hand, others pointed out that while the joke was in poor taste, conservatives should check their outrage, especially when you consider who they elected to be president.

Pete Davidson told an ill conceived joke & you're Chairwoman of White Supremacist Party whose leader Donald Trump incites violences on minorities, religions & citizens he hates. He's committed Treason, looted US Treasury, taking away health care from dying people so eat crap toad — Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) November 4, 2018

Yeah, some people dress up as a Mexican border wall and think it's cool; some poke fun at wounded warriors. Both are bad and should be treated as such. If you think one is ok and not the other, check your bias. — Matt (@RealEnglishMatt) November 4, 2018

I knew that electing Pete Davidson head of the DNC was a bad move https://t.co/C6kA1WDctI — Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) November 4, 2018

The "unhinged left?" That's where you go? I don't even know Pete Davidson's political views, but this liberal thinks his joke was lame and mean. But I think your post is worse, bc Pete is a dumb actor. You're a political leaders spewing hate against an entire group of ppl — CeeJayGee (@butchcjg) November 4, 2018

Quick question: When do we start holding the president to the same standards as Pete Davidson? — Nicole ???? (@ColeyCorleone) November 5, 2018

It breaks my heart to say this, but Pete Davidson should not be President. https://t.co/dOKMdWiV4e — Sean O'Connor (@seanoconnz) November 5, 2018

Davidson has yet to comment on the backlash, so it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll eventually give in and issue an apology.