Pentagon spokesman John Kirby criticized Reps Seth Moulton and Peter Meijer for their trip to Afghanistan, saying it diverted resources.
Mr Kirby said that the Department of Defense was not aware of the visit by Mr Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Mr Meijer, a Republican from Michigan.
“We are obviously VIP visits to a very tense, dangerous and dynamic situation at that airport and inside Kabul generally,” he said. Mr Kirby added he thought Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin would have appreciated an opportunity to speak with the congressmen before the visit.
“To say there wasn’t a need to flex and to alter the day’s flow, including the need to have protection for these members of Congress, that wouldn’t be a genuine thing for me to assert,” he said.
“They certainly took time away from what we had been planning to do that day.”
