Democratic Senate candidate Cal Cunningham appeared to stifle a laugh during a debate when Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis brought up two police officers who were ambushed and shot in Los Angeles.
Tillis and Cunningham were debating Monday in the first of three scheduled debates in a close U.S. Senate race in the swing state.
Cunningham’s seeming reaction to Tillis bringing up the shootings was clipped and posted to Twitter by National Republican Senatorial Committee press secretary Joanna Rodriguez.
Here’s the moment when Thom Tillis was telling the story of two law enforcement officers ambushed and shot this weekend. And Cal Cunningham laughed. #NCsen pic.twitter.com/9z6pWqVxXq
— Joanna Rodriguez (@joannamrod) September 15, 2020
“You saw the reports of the two shootings in Los Angeles over the weekend. Two people ambushed by somebody. These protesters now go to the hospital and say, ‘I hope you die.’ We just a law enforcement in the western part of the state die,” Tillis said as Cunningham appeared to stifle a laugh before frowning and shaking his head.
Protesters chanted, “We hope they die” at the entrance to a Los Angeles County emergency room Sunday morning after two officers, a 31-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, were ambushed and shot while sitting in their police vehicle. (RELATED: Jake Tapper Asks Los Angeles Mayor About Deputies Shot And Protesters Shouting ‘We Hope They Die’)
Update: The gunman walked up on the deputies and opened fire without warning or provocation. pic.twitter.com/cBQjyKkoxJ
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 13, 2020
Cunningham, a corporate attorney, is also an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He currently holds a narrow edge over Tillis in polling.
Cunningham’s campaign did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment before press time.