Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California told NBC News on Sunday that despite their “mistakes” in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris deserve “credit” for ending the war.

Gold Star families gathered at Arlington Cemetery on Monday to remember the 13 soldiers who died outside Kabul International Airport during the withdrawal. On “Meet the Press,” Kana told host Kristen Welker that he was proud of Harris' “track record” in the Afghanistan withdrawal, as the host pressed Harris on responsibility for the deaths in the Afghanistan withdrawal. (Related: Harris' attempt to attack Trump's Arlington visit backfires badly as Gold Star families react)

“There was a recommendation that we should still have troops there. Do you think she bears responsibility for some of the key decisions that led to the withdrawal that we all witnessed and that everyone acknowledges were screwed up, as the Biden administration acknowledges,” Welker asked.

“I think she's proud of the Biden-Harris Administration's track record. Ending the war is her achievement, and even though there were mistakes, of course she's part of the administration. But do you see the difference, Kristen? Nobody in government is perfect, and President Biden's team itself has admitted to some mistakes, but leaders have taken responsibility and been open and honest,” Khanna said. “Yes, there were some mistakes, but the war ended. This was a big decision for her to make and President Biden should be commended.”

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Both Biden and Harris have faced significant criticism for their roles leading up to the disastrous withdrawal in August 2021. At the time, Biden repeatedly denied he had been briefed by military leaders who opposed the withdrawal, leading to conflicting messaging from his administration.

Harris has come under increasing criticism from Gold Star families this weekend after she criticized President Trump for taking photos at the ceremony at Arlington Cemetery, even though she did not attend the ceremony herself. Eight Gold Star families took to Twitter on Saturday to blast the vice president for not hearing from them in the past three years and to explain that they were the ones who invited President Trump.

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