Kenan Thompson Sides With Critics on Pete Davidson's Joke About Veteran

Thompson also says his 'SNL' cast member has a 'big heart' and probably didn't mean to offend Republican Congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw.

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After this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson faced backlash for his unfunny comments about Texas GOP candidate Dan Crenshaw.

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, wears an eye patch, and at one point during “Weekend Update” Davidson makes a joke about the veteran’s appearance. “You may be surprised to hear he’s a congressional candidate in Texas and not a hitman in a porno movie,” Davidson remarked. “I’m sorry, I know he lost his eye in war, or whatever. Whatever.”

Davidson’s crass comment upset people across political lines, though Crenshaw attempted not to get hung up about it.

And Davidson’s fellow cast member Kenan Thompson also admits Davidson might have stepped out of bounds. When asked on the Today show if his coworker “crossed the line,” Thompson replied, “It definitely seems it."

Thompson explained how as the son of a Vietnam veteran, he “would never necessarily go there,” but doesn’t think Davidson’s comments came from a place of ill will. “[He] definitely missed the mark. I think he was more so commenting on the fact that the joke maybe didn’t land as hard as he wanted to as opposed to being like I don’t care about veterans,” Thompson said. “It’s tough when you’re fishing for jokes.”

Thompson calls the young comic, and former Ariana Grande fiance, “a humble dude” with “a big heart.” “I don’t think he goes out to offend people, but stand-ups, they’re the ones that help us laugh through the most awful things in the first place,” Thompson said. Davidson himself has yet to apologize.

Watch an entire clip of Thompson’s comments above.

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