| Unauthorized Trip The spur of the moment trip to Kabul taken by Reps. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Peter Meijer (R- MI) drew scorn across the political spectrum and on cable news Wednesday.
The congressmen went to assess the situation in Afghanistan, and did not like what they saw.
"After talking with commanders on the ground and seeing the situation here, it is obvious that because we started the evacuation so late, that no matter what we do, we won’t get everyone out on time, even by September 11," the representatives said in a joint statement. "Sadly and frustratingly, getting our people out depends on maintaining the current, bizarre relationship with the Taliban."
Their trip, however, was met with heavy criticism.
"This is deadly serious," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, scolding the two congressmen. "We do not want members to go.”
And on CNN, in a blistering minute-long rebuke, counterterrorism analyst Phill Mudd absolutely leveled the House members.
"Reprehensible," Mudd said. "Sharply criticized is too polite. Look, the president of the United States, who is responsible first and foremost for American national security, said the situation is so dangerous that the U.S. military can’t stay on, that we have to withdraw U.S. military. So two members of Congress, without the support of their leadership, decide that they’re going to bypass Disneyland and take an Instagram trip to Afghanistan because they want some eye candy for a bunch of constituents."
And he was just getting warmed up.
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