The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Sunday there's no proof indicating this month's consulate attack in Libya -- which killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans -- was related to protests over an anti-Islam video.

"I have seen no information that shows that there was a protest going on as you have seen around any other embassy at the time. It was clearly designed to be an attack," Rep. Mike Rogers said on CNN's "State of the Union."

While he still thinks there may be evidence that the attackers could have known Ambassador Christopher Stevens was on the property at the time, he said, "9/11 is probably more important to that equation than even the ambassador."

His explanation of the events is at odds with the administration's comments about the September 11 assault. On Thursday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said there was no verification at the time that it was a "preplanned attack" and attributed the event to the controversial video.

"This was the result of opportunism, taking advantage of and exploiting what was happening as a result of reaction to the video that was found to be offensive," Carney told reporters on Air Force One.

However, Carney did acknowledge for the first time that the events in Benghazi amounted to a "terrorist attack."

Rogers said Sunday the administration's statements have been "confusing." He criticized President Barack Obama for attending a campaign event in Colorado the night after the attacks.

"This is as serious an event as I have ever seen, and it's been confusing to try to follow where the administration has been. I'm disappointed the president didn't say, 'I'm not going to the fund-raiser. I am going to go on national TV and put this right,'" Rogers, a Republican, told CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley.

Robert Gibbs, a senior campaign adviser to Obama's re-election campaign, was pressed Sunday on whether the administration was changing its tune in the aftermath of the attack.

"As we have learned more and as this investigation continues, I anticipate, we will continue to learn more facts about the awful assassination, murder of our great ambassador in Libya," Gibbs said on Fox News.

He continued: "You saw the White House say that this was a terror attack. And nobody wants to get to the bottom of this more than the president and the secretary of state, so that we can protect our missions in our consulates throughout the world and remain engaged."

Gibbs also defended the president against criticism of Obama's decision not to meet with world leaders while he's in New York City this week to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, though he is scheduled to tape an interview on the TV program "The View."

"They have telephones in the White House. Last week he talked to the president of Egypt. He talked to the leader of Libya," said Gibbs, a former White House press secretary under Obama. "We don't need a meeting in Washington just to confer with leaders."