Chuck Todd Confronts Trump About Kids at the Border: ‘They’re Being Held Hostage’

NBC News anchor Chuck Todd grilled President Donald Trump over the mistreatment of migrant children at the southern border, asking him, “Why aren’t you doing something?”

Todd’s exclusive interview with Trump aired on Sunday morning’s edition of NBC News’ Meet the Press, and included an exchange about the most recent reporting on deplorable conditions for migrant children at the southern border.

While Todd repeatedly pressed Trump about his administration’s failure to care for the children humanely, he also allowed several Trump falsehoods to go unchallenged.

“I want to ask what’s going down with the, these, the children in these migrant camps,” Todd said. “The stories are horrible, Mr. President. You have children without their parents. You have kids taking care of kids.”

“You’ve, you’ve read these reports,” Todd continued, as Trump agreed, “I know people are coming to you. I know you think this is the Democrats’ problem.”

As Trump began to answer, Todd said “Forget it! Why aren’t you doing something? “They’re in terrible shape down there, Mr. President. Down in Homestead, Florida, that’s where I grew up, it’s, the conditions are terrible.”

“I agree,” Trump said — as Todd was still imploring him to “Do something! Do something!” — and added “it’s been that way for a long time.

“And President Obama built the cages,” Trump said, the first of many times he would falsely try to blame President Barack Obama for family separations during this interview.

Todd’s response was to interrupt and say “Do two wrongs make a right?”

“Separation, President Obama, I took over separation. I’m the one that put it together,” Trump falsely claimed, to which Todd replied, “But let’s not punish the kids more.”

As Trump continued to blame Obama, Todd protested that “the kids are getting punished more,” and asked Trump to “talk about what’s happening now.”

“We’re doing a fantastic job under the circumstances,” Trump claimed, and added, “The Democrats aren’t even approving giving us money. Where is the money? You know what? The Democrats are holding up the humanitarian aid.”

As Trump continued to blame Democrats, Todd asked, “But why let the political debate hurt these children? They could be impacted for years.”

“If the Democrats would change the asylum laws and the loopholes, which they refuse to do because they think it’s good politics, everything would be solved immediately,” Trump said. “But they refuse to do it. They refuse to do it.”

After Trump said “we’re doing a fantastic job under the circumstances,” Todd shot back: “It looks like these kids are being used as, as some sort of — is it hostages? They’re being held hostage.”

Watch the clip above, via NBC News.

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