White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby faced fierce backlash on Thursday after a careless email mishap revealed his dismissive attitude toward veterans critical of the Biden administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. The email, intended for his staff, was accidentally sent to Fox News and contained Kirby’s blunt assessment that there was “no use” engaging with veterans angered by President Joe Biden’s decision to expedite the U.S. exit from Afghanistan.

This incident occurred as Kirby was traveling with President Biden to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Fox News had asked Kirby to respond to comments from veterans critical of the administration’s botched withdrawal.

Instead of a measured response, Kirby’s email revealed his dismissive stance: “A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe,” he wrote, downplaying the concerns of those who served and suffered the most during America’s longest war. When questioned by Fox about the email, Kirby acknowledged his mistake, stating he “didn’t realize you were on the chain.”

The Afghanistan withdrawal remains a dark stain on Biden’s presidency. After 20 years of war, the chaotic withdrawal in 2021 resulted in tragic scenes broadcast globally—Afghans clinging to departing U.S. aircraft, desperate to escape Taliban rule.

The suicide bombing at Kabul International Airport that killed 13 American service members and hundreds of Afghans highlighted the deadly cost of the rushed exit. Billions of dollars in U.S. weaponry, vehicles, and equipment were left behind, now in the hands of the Taliban, while women’s rights and basic freedoms have been obliterated under the Taliban’s oppressive rule.

Kirby’s email adds insult to injury for many veterans, especially those who watched the withdrawal unfold with horror. Their concerns—shared by a significant portion of the American public—were brushed aside by a key member of the administration, compounding the sense of betrayal felt by veterans and Gold Star families.

Republicans didn’t hesitate to seize on the scandal. Senator John Thune (R-SD) criticized Kirby’s dismissiveness on social media: “This is how the Biden-Harris administration talks about the well-founded concerns of our nation’s veterans? Just days after the anniversary of the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal. On the anniversary of 9/11. Our Gold Star families deserve better.”

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) echoed this sentiment, blasting Kirby’s comments as “appalling, but sadly not surprising,” and accused the administration of consistently disregarding veterans and servicemembers since the botched withdrawal.

McCaul’s sharp criticism reflects the ongoing outrage over how the Biden administration has handled the fallout of Afghanistan, a sore point for many Americans, especially in the military community.

The timing of Kirby’s blunder couldn’t have been worse. At a New York ceremony honoring the victims of 9/11, some family members took the opportunity to criticize the Biden administration’s recent failed plea deal with the masterminds of the attacks. The agreement, which would have spared 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the death penalty, was scrapped after public outrage.