WE HAVE IT COVERED FOR YOU THIS MORNING.
MORNING. WE START WITH PETER ALEXANDER
FOR US AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> Reporter: MORE CHAOS, MORE
CONFUSION, AS THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION TRIES TO ROLL
BACK THAT WIDELY-REJECTED
POLICY, SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM
THEIR PARENTS.
THEIR PARENTS. EVEN AS A SENIOR HOMELAND
SECURITY OFFICIAL TELLS NBC
NEWS, THAT 500 OF THE CHILDREN
HAVE BEEN REUNITED SINCE MAY,
THE PENTAGON HAS BEEN TASKED TO
DRAW UP PLANS TO HOUSE UP TO
20,000 MORE MIGRANT CHILDREN ON
MILITARY BASES, BEGINNING AS
EARLY AS JULY NEXT MONTH.
ALL OF THIS, AS THE FIRST LADY
GETS A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT THIS
CRISIS.
CRISIS. THIS MORNING, A MOTHER’S
MISSION.
MISSION. MELANIA TRUMP FRESH OFF AN
UNANNOUNCED TRIP TO THE BORDER,
VISITING A TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR
MIGRANT CHILDREN SEPARATED FROM
THEIR PARENTS.
THEIR PARENTS. >> I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK YOU
HOW I CAN HELP TO THESE CHILDREN
TO REUNITE WITH THEIR FAMILIES,
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
>> Reporter: THE FIRST LADY AND
THE PRESIDENT ON SEPARATE
TRACKS.
TRACKS. MRS. TRUMP DEPLOYING HERSELF AS
AMERICA’S SECRETARY OF
COMPASSION.
COMPASSION. HER HUSBAND HOSTING HIS CABINET,
HAMMERING HOME HIS HARD-LINE
APPROACH.
APPROACH. >> IF WE TOOK ZERO TOLERANCE
AWAY, YOU WOULD BE OVERRUN --
YOU WOULD HAVE MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE POURING THROUGH OUR
BORDER.
BORDER. >> Reporter: PRESIDENT TRUMP
INVITING DEMOCRATS TO THE WHITE
HOUSE AND BASHING THEM.
>> THEY’RE EXTREMIST OPEN-BORDER
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. >> Reporter: ACCUSING THEM OF
DEMANDING HIGH-END SHELTERS BUT
REFUSING TO PAY.
>> THEY WANT US TO TAKE CARE OF
BED SPACE AND RESOURCES.
LIKE LET’S RUN THE MOST
LUXURIOUS HOTEL IN THE WORLD FOR
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY. >> Reporter: STILL UNCLEAR HOW
TO REUNITE THE 2,100-PLUS
CHILDREN WITH THEIR PARENTS.
>> IF YOU LOOK ZERO TOLERANCE
AWAY, EVERYBODY WOULD COME --
RIGHT NOW, THEY WOULD BE GETTING
THEIR LITTLE BELONGINGS,
UNFORTUNATELY, AND THEY WOULD BE
HEADING UP.
HEADING UP. YOU WOULD BE -- YOU WOULD HAVE A
RUN ON THIS COUNTRY THE LIKES OF
WHICH NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN.
>> Reporter: ATTORNEY GENERAL
JEFF SESSIONS INSISTING THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DIDN’T PLAN
ON SPLITTING UP FAMILIES.
>> THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T
LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE’RE
SEPARATING FAMILIES.
SEPARATING FAMILIES. WE NEVER REALLY INTENDED TO DO
THAT.
THAT. >> Reporter: BUT SESSIONS’ OWN
WORDS DELIVERED LAST MONTH
CONTRADICT THAT.
CONTRADICT THAT. >> IF YOU ARE SMUGGLING A CHILD,
THEN WE WILL PROSECUTE YOU.
AND THAT CHILD MAY BE SEPARATED
FROM YOU AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
>> Reporter: AS FOR THE FIRST
LADY’S TRIP --
>> I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
HARD WORK.
HARD WORK. >> Reporter: HER OFFICE SAYING
IT WAS HER DECISION, SHE TOLD
HER HUSBAND, I’M HEADED DOWN TO
TEXAS.
TEXAS. INSISTING SHE WANTED A REALISTIC
VIEW.
VIEW. THE FIRST LADY SPENDING TIME
WITH THOSE CHILDREN WITH NO
CAMERAS PRESENT.
CAMERAS PRESENT. MRS. TRUMP DRAWING ATTENTION,
NOT ONLY FOR HER MESSAGE, BUT
THE GRAFFITI-STYLE WORDS ACROSS
HER BACK BOARDING FOR THE
BORDER.
BORDER. THAT CARGO JACKET READS, I
REALLY DON’T CARE, DO YOU?
HER SPOKESPERSON CRITICIZING
REPORTERS FOR ASKING ABOUT IT.
TWEETING #SHECARES.
TWEETING #SHECARES. ADDING, THERE WAS NO HIDDEN
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. BUT THE PRESIDENT SAW ONE,
SAYING IT WAS TO THE FAKE NEWS
MEDIA.
MEDIA. MELANIA KNOWS HOW DISHONEST THEY
ARE AND SHE NO LONGER CARES.
>> THERE’S A LONG HISTORY OF
LOOKING AT FIRST LADIES AND
TRYING TO INTERPRET WHAT THEY
WEAR AND CRITICIZE.
IN THIS CASE, THERE WAS A
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. IT WAS WRITTEN IN BLACK AND
WHITE ON THE BACK OF THE JACKET.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT SHE
WAS TRYING TO SAY?
THE PRESIDENT SAID SHE WAS
TRYING TO GO AFTER THE MEDIA.
>> I THINK, HONESTLY, NOBODY
KNOWS WHAT TO MAKE OF IT.
BUT SPEAK TO ANYBODY WHO KNOWS
MELANIA TRUMP AND THEY WILL TELL
YOU NOTHING THE FORMER MODEL
DOES IS ACCIDENTAL.
I REACHED OUT TO HER OFFICE TO
SEE IF THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL
COMMENT, RESPONDING TO THE
PRESIDENT’S EXPLANATION OF THAT
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. THEY HAVE SAID NOTHING MORE.
ONE INTERESTING NOTE, AFTER THE
CONTROVERSY ERUPTED, BLOWING UP
ON TWITTER AS YOU LIKELY SAW,
MELANIA TRUMP PUT THE JACKET
BACK ON JUST IN TIME FOR THE
CAMERAS WHEN SHE RETURNED HERE