Do you ever get the uncomfortable sense, while watching something, that you know it’s going to make headlines the next day? We felt that way last week while watching Pete Davidson on Saturday Night Live, when he tore into Republican 2018 midterm candidates during the Weekend Update. He was unkind to Lt. Commander Dan Crenshaw, a Navy veteran who sustained an eye injury during a combat tour. As expected, controversy ensued. But in the spirit of Veterans Day, Davidson apologized to Crenshaw live, and even managed to poke fun at himself over this recent breakup with Ariana Grande.
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Davidson began by acknowledging his “poor choice” of a joke, wryly noting that it “was a huge shock for people who know me.” He said he was sorry “on behalf of the show and myself,” and wondered how miserable he makes his mom, who is also his “roommate,” a chuckling reference to the fact that he had to move out of the Chelsea apartment that he shared with Grande. He even joked that he united the left and the right political spectrums, who can both agree that Davidson “is a dick.”
The show then brought on Crenshaw himself, who is now the Republican Congressman-elect of Texas’ second district. “You think?” Crenshaw joked while he accepted Davidson’s apology. Still, Davidson deserved a taste of his own medicine, and Crenshaw delivered. At one point, Crenshaw’s phone began to ring during the set, and whaddya know, his ringtone happened to be “breathin” by Grande. Awkward! “Ariana Grande...is...cool…” mumbled Davidson, to which Crenshaw asked, “Oh, do you know her?” Laughs all around.
Still, Davidson made sure to tell the audience that Crenshaw lost his eye because his eye during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated nearby. Crenshaw closed the segment by appealing to both Democrats and Republicans about the need for civility and forgiveness when one side is hurtful to the other. SNL found the perfect way to celebrate Veterans Day. You can watch the skit below.