Crenshaw: SNL skit was 'dark'

"The first part of that skit was just strange ... The second part, I think, is when it just became dark," Republican Dan Crenshaw told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on "New Day."

"We have thick skin, but as veterans, it's hard for us to understand why war wounds would elicit such raucous laughter from an audience," he said, adding, "I think they should've rethought that joke a little bit -- if you can even call it a joke."

The joke, made by comedian Pete Davidson, came during an "SNL" segment in which Davidson gave his "First Impressions" of the appearances of several candidates.

"This guy is kinda cool, Dan Crenshaw," Davidson said on this weekend's show, next to a photo of Crenshaw. "You may be surprised to hear he's a congressional candidate from Texas, and not a hit man in a porno movie."

"I'm sorry, I know he lost his eye in war, or whatever," he added.

Crenshaw, a Navy SEAL who did five tours of duty, lost his right eye when he was hit by an IED blast in Helmand province in 2012 during his third deployment, according to his campaign website. Surgeries restored sight in his left eye. He recovered and ultimately deployed twice more.

Crenshaw was medically retired in 2016 with two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart and the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor, according to his biography.

On Sunday, Crenshaw reacted to the joke in a tweet, writing that, "I hope @nbcsnl recognizes that vets don't deserve to see their wounds used as punchlines for bad jokes."

On Monday, he told Camerota that he isn't going to demand an apology from Davidson.

"I do not demand an apology. He probably should apologize," Crenshaw said, adding, "I don't want some hollow apology."

"I think he's exposed himself. I think he's exposed himself for who he really is," he said of Davidson. "I wish him well."

Crenshaw faces Democrat Todd Litton on Tuesday.

CNN's Eric Levenson contributed to this report.

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