CNN's Holmes on Alabama state Senate altercation: "I mean, they say that Democrats are weak on defense, but that's ridiculous."

On the June 8 edition of CNN's Newsroom, following a report on an altercation between Alabama State Sens. Charles Bishop (R) and Lowell Barron (D), co-anchor T.J. Holmes stated: "All right, the Democrat didn't hit him back. I mean, they say that Democrats are weak on defense, but that's ridiculous."

As the Associated Press reported, Bishop "claimed that Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron called him a 'son of a (expletive).' " The AP quoted Bishop saying, "I responded to his comment with my right hand."

From the June 8 edition of CNN's Newsroom (2 p.m. ET hour):

HOLMES: All right, the Democrat didn't hit him back. I mean, they say that Democrats are weak on defense, but that was ridiculous.

BETTY NGUYEN (co-anchor): Oh come on, T.J.!

HOLMES: OK. And that was Eileen Jones of CNN affiliate WSFA. May not be the end of this incident, actually; the senator who was hit has not ruled out filing charges. And, again, he was the Democrat; I'm just saying what they do -- what they say.

NGUYEN: I hear what you're saying, but we're going to move on with this story.

HOLMES: We'll let that go.

NGUYEN: Yeah, we are. For your sake.

—J.M.