Because the Biden administration’s response to the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan has been an absolute cluster, including and especially on the important issue of how to get stranded Americans out of the country, a number of members of the House and Senate have been offering help to those who haven’t been able to get out by tweeting out phone numbers and email addresses for them to contact for assistance.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a veteran of the post-9/11 wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, was one of the first to offer help, tweeting this on Sunday as the situation continued to deteriorate:

If you’re an American stranded in Afghanistan, or know one who is, please contact my office immediately:

(501) 223-9081 or
[email protected]

The situation is dire, but we’ll do everything in our power to help keep you informed and to help get you out.

— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) August 15, 2021

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman shared the tweet later that day, noting that Cotton’s office said they’d heard from “multiple” Americans “trapped behind Taliban checkpoints” who reportedly had “no clear option for what to do”:

Cotton spokesman says that their office has heard from multiple US citizens in Kabul trapped behind Taliban checkpoints, who can’t safely reach the US perimeter and have no clear option for what to do. https://t.co/rY5QTSPLKd

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 16, 2021

You’d think that a member of Congress trying to do whatever they could to help bring home U.S. citizens stuck in the middle of a country that was taken over by Taliban terrorists in a matter of a week or so’s time would be something that all sides would be on board with, but that wasn’t the case as evidenced by Media Matters President and CEO Angelo Carusone’s idiotic reaction, as we previously reported:

Imagine being trapped in Afghanistan in this moment..and thinking best person to call is Tom Cotton of all people.

Honestly, if someone’s in that situation where Tom Cotton is the only number they can call, they’d be better off just calling NYC’s 311. I mean really. Tom Cotton. https://t.co/IHR3GhIdLK

— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) August 16, 2021

As it turns out, Cotton was indeed able to help stranded Americans, as the Times reported Wednesday:

American couple made it through Taliban checkpoints and escaped Afghanistan with help from Tom Cotton

Thankfully they didn't listen to Media Matters president @GoAngelo's insanely moronic take. Hopefully no one did.https://t.co/PIO5imKSRV pic.twitter.com/YgZT8ZqA3o

— Watchdog (@LibWatchdog) August 19, 2021

In case the print on the screen grab in the tweet is too small to read, here’s the relevant part from the article:

An American couple filmed their desperate bid to escape Kabul.

The couple, who live in the Washington area, said they had failed repeatedly to make it to the airport over the past few days. So they decided to seek help from the office of Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who has been vocal on the chaotic nature of the U.S. withdrawal. Mr. Cotton’s office provided the name of the contact at the airport military barricade, they said.

The couple shared the video with The New York Times about 2:30 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday — near midnight in Kabul, just after they had entered the airport.

You can watch the video (it’s 22 seconds long) at this link.

Instead of admitting he made a complete fool out of himself by criticizing Cotton’s offer of help to begin with, Carusone instead has doubled down on the stupid, battling it out with his critics on Twitter and accusing Cotton of “stolen valor”:

What does he got me on? That Cotton’s team is spending apparently more focused on pr than work? That routine constituent services are suddenly extraordinary here…because what? Cotton usually doesn’t do them?

Sorry, but like I’m just not as easily or willing to be duped as Luntz

— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) August 19, 2021

So someone else actually did the saving, and Tom Cotton made sure media gave him all the credit for some else’s heroism and efforts? And you think this proves what exactly? That I was wrong about Cotton playing pr games?

Geez you sure got me. What valor will he steal next?

— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) August 19, 2021

Maybe Carusone will come to his senses once he gets done wiping that pile of egg from his face. I kinda doubt, it though. From what I hear, that much egg usually sticks to you for a very long time.

Flashback–>> WATCH: Tucker Carlson Unloads “Pure Savagery” on the Double Standards of Media Matters