headline, you know, a few hours ago, i'm even more alarmed considering what i'm seeing here. i mean, the idea that this -- the expertise here can work as hard as it does just to try to get your wi-fi password. if in fact these systems were connected to the internet, then the insecurity here is really unimaginable. >> quickly, are they planning on hiring some of these folks if they can crack the system? >> reporter: you know, this is -- these election officials do not have the budget of something like an ibm. most don't even employ somebody on security. so the idea they can recruit hackers for this, it seems very unlikely. >> all right. >> reporter: extra alarming consider what we're seeing. >> thank you that wraps up this hour of nbc live. "andrea mitchell reports" starts right now. right now on "andrea mitchell reports," on the edge. with a tense nation still reeling from a series of mass shootings. a heavily armed gunman is arrested without incident after walking into a walmart in missouri. this as senate majority leader

mitch mcconnell is facing heavy pressure for ground checks. pressure now including from the president. >> frankly, we need intelligent background checks, okay? this isn't a question of nra republican or democrat. i will tell you i spoke to mitch mcconnell yesterday. he's totally on board. war of words. the biden and trump campaigns go after each other after race relations. joe biden pushes back when confronted by the conservative outlet breitbart in iowa. claiming biden misquoted trump after charlottesville. >> said specifically he said condemning it. >> no, he did not. he said he walked out. let's get it straight. there are very fine people in both groups. they're chanting anti-semitic slogans, carrying flags. left behind. hundreds of children in mississippi sobbing all alone after i.c.e. raids arrest their

parents at food processing plants. with the feds making no provision at all for their children. >> my dad didn't do nothing. he's not a criminal. governments police put your heart. good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. prump president trump is giving new hope today. the president confident a bipartisan deal on background checks could be reached. brushing off any potential blowback from the nra, which has been calling him. >> we have tremendous support for really commonsense, sensible important background checks. we'll see where the nra will be. we have to have meaningful background checks. i think a lot of really

meaningful things on background checks will take place. we need meaningful background checks. so that sick people don't get guns. i think in the end, wayne and the nra will either be there or may be a little bit more neutral. that would be okay, too. i think we can do meaningful, very meaningful background checks. i want to see it happen. there are many bills that have been put in over a period of four or five years. they went nowhere. but there's never been a president like president trump. >> that's true. joining me now, nbc white house correspondent kristen welker and msnbc national security analyst sean henry. a former fbi executive assistant director. that was quite a session, i think it went more than 30 minutes on a lot of topics. this is the first time in a while he's talked about background checks. he did previously after parkland and then, you know, flipped

after talking to the nra, wayne lapierre as you have reported was in touch with him this week as well. he seems to be holding a little bit firmer this time around, perhaps because the polls are overwhelmingly in favor of background checks. >> reporter: he does seem to be leaning in that direction, andrea, you're absolutely right. he was out there for over 30 minutes as you point out. and i think the bulk of questions really related to this core issue. what is he going to do next? what action will the president and congress take? and he was pressed on his position, of course he tweeted first thing this morning about background checks. he says, look, he had a good conversation with wayne lapierre, noted he's had several conversations with him. me made the case that he hopes the nra will see things differently this time. i asked him bluntly what is different. of course, after parkland

president trump said he supported expanding background checks. why should this time be different? he said he thinks time has made a difference. he sees a difference in the senate. he sees a difference in the house. is that the case? it's going to be get 60 votes on an expanded background check legislation. he indicated he thinks now is the time. he was asked bluntly if he's willing to defy the nra. he said he hopes that's not going to be necessary. again, making the case and indicating that these phone calls are an attempt to get the nra to see value of expanding background checks. he's been in touch with congressional leaders. and the pressure is on everyone, democrats, republicans, mitch mcconnell getting pressure to bring back the senate to act on this right now. mcconnell saying yesterday he doesn't think that would have the intended affect that he wants to have conversations

right now. come back in september and get something passed. a lot of pressure to really get something done this time. >> i want to play a little bit of mitch mcconnell on a radio interview in kentucky. there's that picture we've seen him carrying a rifle at a convention. so he has been as hard line as anybody in the senate has been against any kind of gun law legislation. this is what he had to say. >> there has to be a bipartisan discussion here of what we can agree on. background checks and red flags will probably lead the discussion. a lot of other things will come up as well. what we can't do is fail to pass something, you know? by just locking up and failing to pass. that's unacceptable. >> this is a guy who has been burnt before by signing onto

things the president will not stick with. he's not going anywhere until the president says he's going with this. it's amazing that the president is still praising the nra. that said, they seem to have a hold on some of the members and certainly some of the senators. sean, let's talk about the nationwide fears and whether background checks would not have helped in these two incidents in el paso and dayton. that said, there are some cases they might be effective. >> that's absolutely right. i think that you've got to look at the totality of the circumstances and look at a comprehensive plan. there's no one size fits all here. we've had success in cases, issues like international terrorism where there was a collaborative plan that was put together. it's similar to this case here where you've got legislative

peace,-- pieces. there's a whole host of things that need to be done to change the climate, background investigations, background checks. help to keep hands -- guns out of the hands of bad people. there's a lot more that needs to be done in order to mitigate what we've seen over the last few years, andrea. >> i was there when the assault weapons ban was passed in 1994. they let it expire in 2004. today, you had an armed white guy in his 20s walking into walmart, dressed in body armor. detained at gunpoint. there apparently is a jail record showing a charge pending of making a terrorist threat, first degree. why are these weapons so readily available? >> you know, it's a very dangerous situation that we saw yesterday. you have a young man walking

into this facility at walmart. no less heavily armed, camouflage, wearing body armor. and at the very least, he was being provacative. he may have had some other motive and was intervened before he could act on that. it's unclear at this point. but it demonstrates the dangerous environment that we're in. i could see where somebody, an off duty law enforcement officer or uniform officer confronting someone like that and actually engaging because it posed a threat or the perception there was a threat. th this is one of the other issues that has to be part of the plan. >> thanks so much. meanwhile, rhode island democratic congressman sissilini joins me now. the house passed the background check bill in february. it's very unlikely, don't you

think, that mitch mcconnell is going to sign onto the house version of the bill. >> the house passed 50 major pieces of legislation, including universal background checks. they're all sitting on mitch mcconnell's desk. they were bipartisan bills. the universal background check is bipartisan. mitch mcconnell ought to bring the senate back immediately and pass the gun bills that have been sitting on his desk since february. we know background checks work. background checks have been put in place, three million gun purchases have been denied because people were disqualified because they were not legally entitled to have a gun. we know they work. the problem is one in five gun sales happen without a background check. this is a gaping hole. there's no discussion, it's a bipartisan bill. bring it up to the senate floor. let the president and mitch mcconnell help deliver votes to

pass the bill and help keep american people safe. >> what about large magazines? the guy in dayton managed to kill nine people in less than 30 seconds. >> yes, there's no question, look, i'm the sponsor of the assault weapons ban. as of yesterday we 196 co-sponsors in the house. i'm continuing to press my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get behind it. we know when an assault weapon is used, the number of people killed increases by 63%. it's a huge increase in the number of deaths because of the lethality of these weapons. they are weapons of war that are designed for combat. they have no place in the neighborhoods and communities of our country. there ought to be a ban back in place that will help make it more difficult for people to access these deadly weapons. there are a number of bills that are pending in the house. but let's first get the senate to come back and pass what's sitting on senator mcconnell's

desk and make some progress on this issue. >> where do you come down on the fbi association wanting a domestic terror law passed? civil liberties groups have problems with that. how can that be resolved? >> the first thing we have to do is make sure the fbi has the resources they need to investigate white nationalists and terrorism. the president has made substantial efforts to reduce the funding for that work. i think we have to develop a piece of legislation that strikes the right balance, that gets at domestic terrorism and respects the first amendment rights. that will not be easy to do, but we ought to get to work ontop right away and be certain the fbi has the resources to prosecute domestic terrorism completely. >> congressman, thank you so very much. thank you, sir. and coming up, house of cards. president trump says democratic rival joe biden isn't playing with a full deck. the biden campaign's responding.

that is next here on "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. e ona mitchell reports" on msnbc eir dishwasher doesn't get everything clean. i tell them, it may be your detergent... that's why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum. it's specially-designed with the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. cascade platinum's unique actionpacs dissolve quickly... ...to remove stuck-on food. . . for sparkling-clean dishes, the first time. choose the detergent that lets your dishwasher do the dishes! cascade platinum. the number one recommended brand in north america. hi, i'm joan lunden. when my mother began forgetting things, we didn't know where to turn for more information. that's why i recommend a free service called a place for mom. we have local senior living advisors who can answer your questions about dementia or memory care and, if necessary, help you find the right place for your mom or dad. we all want what's best for our parents, so call today.

if you have moderate or psoriatic arthritis, little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. ♪

here, hello! starts with -hi!mple... how can i help? a data plan for everyone. everyone? everyone. let's send to everyone! [ camera clicking ] wifi up there? -ahhh. sure, why not? how'd he get out?! a camera might figure it out. that was easy! glad i could help. at xfinity, we're here to make life simple. easy. awesome. so come ask, shop, discover at your xfinity store today.

joe biden and president trump duking it out in an escalating verbal slugfest after biden unleashed a scorching attack against the president for the president's rhetoric on race. now the former vice president is facing a trump campaign counterattack. this after biden misspoke last night at the iowa state fair and

immediately caught himself. >> we should challenge students in these schools to have advanced placement programs in these schools. we have this notion that if you're poor, you cannot do it. poor kids are just as bright and talented as white kids. wealthy kids. asian kids. think how we think about it. >> president trump reacting today. >> yeah, his comments -- look, joe is not playing with a full deck. he made that comment, i said, whoa, i saw it because i was on something. i had a television. i saw his comments. joe biden is not playing with a full deck. this is not somebody you can have as your president. if he got the nomination, i'd be thrilled. >> well, the biden campaign in turn firing back saying president trump is desperate to change the suspect from his atrocious record of using racism to divide this country.

joining me now mike nemally and joel payne. mike, you were with the vice president last night. you heard him self-correct immediately. but it's the kind of thing that he's open to when he's not on teleprompter and it played into the trump campaign's hands. >> reporter: yeah, that's right. i think this tells us one of a few things. the vice president is prone to these kinds of gaffs from time to time. i thought it was interesting that the crowd in the room applauded, i think they either understood what he meant in the context of the larger exchange or we're all somewhat gaff fatigued, if you will. but the other point about this is that this is a campaign now that is very much in general election mode already in iowa between the biden campaign and

president trump's campaign. as you pointed out the vice president is very stern, direct, targeting the president for inflaming what he said was white supremacy, white nationalists in this country. they watching the vice president's speech, tweeting out the tweet itself, the video did include the full exchange, but the words in the tweet did not include the fuller context we heard there. i thought it was interesting that the campaign did respond this morning. they're eager to continue this back and forth with the president's reelection campaign. it was notable that julian castro was speaking this morning at the iowa state fair, sort of wrote this off as just a misstatement from the former vice president. that's one of the things i'm looking at going forward. how many other democrats look at this and raise doubts about whether or not the democrats can have a nominee who is prone to these moments. >> in fact, joel payne here, you've been talking to the other campaigns.

none of them are jumping at it. >> they're taking a pass on it. castro did say that this morning, but he gave him a pass on it. the other things i've been talking about, have not expressed any interest. that tells me two things, one they're chastened by the overreactions to gaffs we've seen in recent weeks. >> by their own performance in detroit. >> and also the fact that i don't think people really feel like this is about joe biden's content. it isn't about the content of his character, it's about he as a candidate and having the endurance to do this, which i do think is a legitimate question that some campaigns might raise. i've heard some talk from democrats, particularly on the progressive side of the aisle that mike's story last hour i believe it was, he said it was after a two hour event. that's a long endurance event. >> at the end of a day. >> which is a concern for some democrats about joe biden's ability to really last the wears

of this campaign. >> maybe he was on a sugar high after all the ice cream and funnel cakes i saw you eating yesterday. biden is still ahead. that monmouth university poll showing him at 28%. that's up one point. the headline out of that poll is elizabeth warren, gaining 12 points to the second place at 19%. showing that she's doing very well in iowa where people -- the first caucus state, they like to hear i've got a plan for that. they like to hear issues. mike? >> reporter: yeah, that's absolutely right. it will be interesting to see for one of the few times so far in this case, tonight at the dinner we're going to be traveling up to clear lake, joe biden and elizabeth warren will be sharing a stage there. it's a party fundraising for local democrats in the area. it's going to be interesting to see how much they engage with each other. we have not seen warren when she shares the stage with bernie sanders engaging with other democrats. she has been certainly happy to

mix it up with those other democrats pursuing a more moderate position in the party. whether the two of them tonight will be interested in doing that is one of the things i'll be looking for tonight. i thought it was interesting as we heard from president trump this morning, recounting again to what we heard from the president yesterday. it's clear he thinks or at least maybe he wants joe biden to be the nominee. he said -- calling attention perhaps again to sleepy joe as he sometimes put it. today his answer was that he was not playing with a full deck. the biden campaign quickly responding to that saying that donald trump's deck is all jokers. >> and mike, i know you were there when the breitbart reporter confronted the vice president over this whole charlottesville issue. let's play that exchange. >> specifically that he was condemning it. >> no, he did not. he said he walked out and -- >> sir -- >> let's get this straight. he said they were fine people in both groups. they're chanting anti-semitic slogans. >> so, i mean, the president can

try to label him sleepy joe, but at least from what i've seen -- you're there on the ground. you're the lucky guy at the iowa state fair. you've watched the energy level. what have you seen the last couple days? >> reporter: well, i think, joe biden can campaign every day at a state fair, maybe throw in a dairy queen or two, that's what he wants to do. that brings out the best in him in terms of campaigning. that's what we saw in terms of the seriousness of the race. joe biden has said repeatedly that charlottesville is what motivated him to get into the race. we know next week we're going to mark the second anniversary of that incident. this has been on his mind the past few weeks. when you had a reporter there from breitbart confront him, trying to question whether in fact trump at the time was drawing an equivalence between those who were protesting and those who were there in the

white supremacist rally. he pushed back aggressively on that. >> finally, joel, did the democratic candidates learn a lesson after the detroit debate where they fell into the trap, laid by the format going after each other and president obama? did they realize that a circular firing squad is not a good strategy? >> it probably did alarm the campaigns. i imagine some party leaders maybe made their way to some of those candidates and got that message across. but i also think, you know, we're talking about biden here as the leader. the more erratic that the president acts -- we've seen erratic behavior and language from this president over the last few weeks -- i think the better it is for the biden campaign. biden's entire theory of the case is that i'm the reliable comfortable candidate you can trust. the more the president acts erratic, the more that helps biden. i think the race has shifted a bit. what's going to happen next, and we're talking a lot about iowa, is a lot of talk about ground

game. we talk about elizabeth warren and her strength in iowa. it's the fact she's out organized everybody and that's going to set her up for success going forward. >> thank you both so much. and coming up, down to the letter. the deputy director of national intelligence resigns with a handwritten note to the president. we'll talk to john brennan about the major shakeup. all that next on "andrea mitchell reports." stay with us on msnbc. "andrea tchell reports." stay with us on msnbc. own little world. especially these days. (dad) i think it's here. (mom vo) especially at this age. (big sister) where are we going? (mom vo) it's a big, beautiful world out there. (little sister) woah... (big sister) wow. see that? (mom vo) sometimes you just need a little help seeing it. (avo) the three-row subaru ascent. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. get zero percent during the subaru a lot to love event. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, hmm. exactly. so you only pay for what you need. nice. but, uh...

what's up with your... partner? not again. limu that's your reflection. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ [ referee whistle sounds ] ♪ sport dr[ cheering ]s when you need the fuel to be your nephew's number one fan. holiday inn express. we're there. so you can be too. for a restless night's sleep. pain settle there's a better choice. aleve pm. the only one to combine a safe sleep aid and the 12-hour pain-relieving strength of aleve that dares to last into the morning. so you feel refreshed. aleve pm. there's a better choice.

so, every day, we put our latest technology and unrivaled network to work. the united states postal service makes more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. but we're also a company that controls hiv, fights cancer, repairs shattered bones, relieves depression, restores heart rhythms, helps you back from strokes, and keeps you healthy your whole life.

from the day you're born we never stop taking care of you.

more fallout today from the president's shakeup. 30 year veteran sue borden is out. quitting after learning that mr. trump was passing over her to be acting dni when dan coats leaves nebsi next week. by law, she should have taken over. sue gordon wrote, mr. president, i offer this letter as an act of respect and patriotism, not preference. you should have your team. godspeed, sue. well, joining me now, john brennan, the former cia director and msnbc senior security

analyst. she did submit a formal letter, but that note was terse and to the point. patriotism, not preference. >> i think it reflects sue's tremendous professionalism as well as her commitment to the intelligence mission when she said it wasn't her preference to leave. particularly when dan coats is leaving. and so when you have the number two and number two departing, the head of the intelligence community, it really does, i think damage to the community as a whole. i think sue gordon was trying to signal that she wanted to stay, but clearly, mr. trump didn't want her. >> why do you think he didn't want her? >> well, i don't know. i think he wants individuals for going to show blind loyalty to him. and sue gordon is somebody who will speak truth to power. i worked closely with sue for many years. if she disagreed she'd let me know about it. when i became director of the

cia, i asked sue to head up a study on cyber so the cia could be positioned to deal with all these cyber challenges we face, including with the russians. sue has that extent of technical knowledge, and community experience that we as a country desperate need at this point. >> in fact, this white house, the nsc has not been replaced, to my knowledge, tom bossert who was working on the issues and obviously the cia and the other agencies and nsa have a lot of confidence. leadership is important. joseph mcguire is going to take over as acting now that she's stepped aside. what do we know about him? highly respected, former admiral. >> joe is a great american who has served his country, first in the navy for 30 years. he was in charge of the naval special operations activities back in the bush and the early

obama administration. now he's the head of the national counterterrorism center. he's greatly respected. his understanding of the intelligence community is far, far limited compared to sue gordon's. i don't know whether or not donald trump is going to leave joe there for an expended period of time. i think there's going to be quite a bit of opposition. they want somebody who is going to be able to -- the administration wants somebody who is going to be able to just salute to donald trump as opposed to really doing what i think sue gordon and dan coats both did very well, which is try to lead the women and men of the intelligence community. >> it's extraordinary from my experience to watch the senate intelligence community return to its bipartisan roots on this. and what i'm hearing from the republican and democratic side

is unanimous praise for sue gordon and real regret. they did push back and try to persuade the president to keep her. >> yes, richard burr and mark western werner came out in support of sue. she won i think a lot of advocates on the hill because she was a straight shooter. she didn't engage in the political issues that this administration is involved in. she tried to do the work that all the members of the intelligence community expect their leaders to do. so sue was somebody who i think it's unfortunate that after so many years of dedicated service she's leaving under these circumstances. >> there was a tweet from donald trump jr. which references you. i want to give you a chance to respond. he's talking to his father as well, probably in person. if adam schiff wants her in there the rumors about her being besties with brennan and the

rest of the clown codrie must be true. was she passed over because she's too close to him? >> she could have been. they don't understand how important it is to have someone like sue leading the intelligence community. i have no idea whether or not it's based in reality. >> it's clear they don't understand the intelligence community and that's true from day one when he went to langley and stood in front of the wall and bragged about his time magazine covers. >> i think most of the professionals at the cia and intelligence community are just waiting for this administration to be over. so that they can have people in the administration who really are going to leverage the tremendous capabilities and expertise of the intelligence community. >> john brennan, thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up, on their own. hundreds of children left

without their parents after those massive i.c.e. raids in mississippi. why were no plans made to take care of them? you're watching "andrea mitchell reports," only on msnbc. you're l reports," only on msnbc. guy a promotion. you should be mad at forced camaraderie. and you should be mad at tech that makes things worse. but you're not mad, because you have e*trade, who's tech makes life easier by automatically adding technical patterns on charts and helping you understand what they mean. don't get mad. get e*trade's simplified technical analysis. would shakespeare have chosen just "some pens?" methinks a tul pen would serve m'lady well. thanks. and a unicorn notebook! get everything on your list. this week's doorbuster- school backpacks for $10; $10 in store or online from the advisors at office depot officemax. i've always been amazed and still going for my best, even though i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem.

so if there's a better treatment than warfarin... i want that too. eliquis. eliquis is proven to reduce stroke risk better than warfarin. plus has significantly less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. what's next? reeling in a nice one. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden sign of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis, the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor if eliquis is what's next for you. to and practice... kidlots of practice.tion. get them started right with

carnation breakfast essentials. it has protein plus vitamins and minerals to help kids be their best. carnation breakfast essentials. but dad, you've got allstate. with accident forgiveness they guarantee your rates won't go up just because of an accident. smart kid. indeed. are you in good hands?

so i want my dad to be free and everybody else. because of my dad and my mom. i want my dad.

these hispanic people not doing nothing bad. just see what i'm doing. i'm crying because of my dad. i cry very hard to my dad. >> nine years old. she's desperate, pleading for her father, saying her father's not a criminal. one of nearly 700 immigrant children -- hundreds of children rather whose parents were swept up in the government's largest state-wide i.c.e. roundup ever in one state in mississippi. hundreds of federal agents storming seven food processing plants, rounding up workers suspected of being undocumented. no one can explain why the government made no provision for special services with these children. nor why the raids weren't po postponed after el paso. nearly half of those arrested have already been released and will have to appear in court at

a later date. hundreds more remain in custody, separated from their families. today president trump defended what officials are calling the largest enforcement raid ever in the country. staged the same day he was in el paso supposedly comforting terrorized hispanic victims. >> i want people to know that if they come into the united states illegally, they're getting out, they're going to be brought out. and this serves as a very good deterre deterrent. if people come into our countries illegally, they're going out. >> the white house claims it was not notified in advance to preserve secrecy, that does not address how an operation this dramatic could be carried out without a green light from the homeland security. let's get the scoop from gabe gutierr gutierrez. gabe, this is heartbreaking. you've covered a lot of stories.

this is one of the worst you've ever had to deal with. >> reporter: hi, andrea. certainly very emotional here in this community. as you mentioned, hundreds of workers swept up as part of these raids. it's not clear how many children are affected here. local officials say that's part of the problem. they simply have no idea how many children are affected. child protective services here in mississippi was not told in advance about the raid. i.c.e. says they were under no obligation to do so. one i.c.e. said we're a law enforcement agency, not a social services agency. behind me is a church near morton, mississippi. we're in forest, mississippi. this is among the churches that have seen a rise in donations over the last two days and over the last few minutes since we've been here. we just arrived here in the last few minutes. we saw people coming in here, family members of those who were detained in these raids picking up supplies that have been donated. we saw at least two women

crying. they seemed to be trying to figure out what was next. there's a lot of questions about what happens next here. yesterday in another church, we met a priest that was taking care of a one-year-old girl that was left there to sleep. her father left her there while he searched for his wife, who was swept up in these raids. just a short time ago this morning i also spoke with an 18-year-old girl. she says her father was among those detained. he was actually detained when he had his 3-year-old daughter in the car. her younger sister. she found out about the news while she was at school. this is how she found out about it, take a listen. >> i was like, this is really serious. and i went to the bedroom and the counselor and the principal was there and they saw me crying. i was so sad. i was like -- why my dad, he really works hard. he's the important part of the

family. he has too many kids. >> reporter: how scared are you right now? >> i'm scared because i don't know what to do with all my siblings. my mom has to work. i don't like them to be missing something. >> reporter: now, andrea, of the roughly 680 people who were detained during wednesday's raids, about 300 or so, a little less than that have already been released. about 400 or so remain in i.c.e. custody and they're being held in facilities here in mississippi as well as louisiana. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you so much. and it's inexplicable to me this would happen in the same week as the president's trip to el paso. how could someone say let's not do this right now? people are terrorized. he seemed to be indicating on the south lawn that deterrence was the point. >> yeah, i mean, clearly they

could have. the administration could have postponed this for -- basically to make things look better. and they chose not to. i don't know why the white house wasn't more involved in this or whether they were, indeed, more involved behind the scenes. but the president incapsulated today exactly why this set of raids was planned so carefully over many weeks in such a widespread fashion to be a signal. to be a major, major signal to workers, undocumented workers not to try to come into the united states. what the president didn't talk about today were the companies that employed those workers. >> exactly. >> seven different food processing plants that need these workers because -- and know i they can get them. >> the politics of this, i mean, the humanity is outrageous.

and the damage to these kids -- life-long damage from the trauma they're going through and to their parents. but the politics of this, how does this work for the president? >> exactly. it's puzzling, andrea. going back to your previous question for a second, the answer to why this wasn't postponed is because this administration doesn't think that way. there are -- the people making the decisions on these issues and the administration do not stop to think, well, this may not be great considering the amount of trauma that the hispanic community has. there's a huge blind spot, whether it's willful or not, i'll let others decides. there's not empathy on these kinds of issues. politically to your question of how this helps the president, he certainly seems to think it does, although it's an awfully crude calculation he's making here. but it shows what kind of pressure he is under for not

delivering on his signature campaign promise. i mean, despite the chants of build the wall, build the wall, he knows the wall has not been built. it's almost as if it's another george h.w. bush read my lips moment where this crucial campaign promise has been violated. i think it remains to be seen whether or not trump's supporters punish him for that. so far they have not. but i do know there are a lot of people around him who are supportive of him who are worried that his failure to really make a dent in the illegal immigration problem, especially with the surge of migrants arriving at the border is going to be a political liability come next november. >> very briefly, it seems to me as julia ainsley was reporting, we're under no legal obligation to tell mississippi child services anything. yeah, they're not perhaps under a legal obligation. they're under a moral obligation. >> which is basically what the mississippi director of social

services said. like, we're an agency that exists to fix problems, many of which were created here and we could have helped. >> thank you all so very much. coming up, firing back, f m andrew mccabe sues following his dismissal last year. we'll get a reality check coming up. stay with us. a reality check cog up stay with us or any of the other hundreds of john smiths that are humana medicare advantage members. no, it's this john smith, who met with humana to create a personalized care plan. at humana, we have more ways to care for your health, and we find one that works just for you. no matter what your name is.

my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. and this is me now! any physical changes to this man's appearance are purely coincidental. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

[ referee whistle sounds ] ♪ sport dr[ cheering ]s

when you need the fuel to be your nephew's number one fan. holiday inn express. we're there. so you can be too. for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease, stelara® works differently. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection or flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®.

former fbi director andrew mccabe fired. mccabe was fired less than two days before he was set to become eligible from full pension. >> it was true that the firing was clearly engineered, i think, to deny him pension benefits. there was a sense of retaliation in all of this. the timing. what standing or should i say what likelihood is there that he'll restore his job so he can serve two more days and be eligible? >> these can be tough cases to win. procedural

procedurally, if they can get his government files. and even to question some of the witnesses against him. if he can get to that discovery stage, who knows? but it is tough, andrea. these are not cases that plaintiff like mccabe typically wins. >> it is clear that the president wanted to get rid of mccabe. one of mccabe's claim that the president essentially put pressure on senior justice department officials to have him removed and by the way to have him remove just before his pensions. this is one of the things his legal team wanted to explore. this could take a long time. it could take a long time. the district of columbia and district court has a lot and a lot of cases.

they don't tend to move through the system quickly. glacially will be probably a better description. we may not know a while not -- >> based on the description that somehow his wife's career, democratic politics influence inappropriately. >> he does not have to go that far. >> he did not get his fifth amendment, due process rights means that in that termination procedure by which he was abbre accelerated. they moved it quickly to make sure he can get his pension. there is a fifth amendment violation, he could win. these are tough cases to pull out. >> chuck, it is great to see you. >> thank you very much.

a hero is welcomed. a home coming, the emotional scene at the airport, our vietnam war veteran is finally returning home. stay with us right here, you are watching "andrea mitchell reports." ell reports. do you have concerns about mild memory loss related to aging? prevagen is the number one pharmacist-recommended memory support brand. you can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. we're pretty different. somos muy diferentes. muy diferentes. (vo) everyone in your family is different.

that's why verizon now offers more plans to mix and match so everyone gets what they need without paying for things they don't. new plans start at just $35. the network more people rely on gives you more. ♪ corey is living with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. she's also taking ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor, which is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+ / her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole was significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus letrozole. patients taking ibrance can develop

low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. corey calls it her new normal because a lot has changed, but a lot hasn't. ask your doctor about ibrance. the #1 prescribed fda-approved oral combination treatment for hr+/her2- mbc. oral combination treatment hey! i live on my own now! i've got xfinity, because i like to live life in the fast lane. unlike my parents. you rambling about xfinity again? you're so cute when you get excited... anyways... i've got their app right here, i can troubleshoot. i can schedule a time for them to call me back, it's great! you have our number programmed in? ya i don't even know your phone anymore...

excuse me?! what? i don't know your phone number. aw well. he doesn't know our phone number! you have our fax number, obviously... today's xfinity service. simple. easy. awesome. i'll pass. dallas love field, an

vietnam veteran was lost over 52 years ago as his remains finally returns home. >> this was the colonel's final flight, a trip home to texas. the air pilot shot down in laos while fighting in the vietnam war. first declared missing and killed in action. his remains were discovered and identified earlier this year. >> we pretty much given up hope that this would happen. we are amazed how this would came to past. >> colonel knight served the country for 20 years. marrying his wife in the philippines, they raised three children together.

in 1967, knight said good-bye to brian at dallas lovefield. it would be the last time the five-year-old would see his father alive. on thursday, that little boy is now a pilot himself for southwest airlines flew his father home to the very same airport. the bustling terminal fallen silence and hundreds of travelers watch ing the moment unfold. outside, standing in a gesture of respect. the colonel's family receiving his flag's great casket. son, roy, reaching out to his dad. >> it was emotional and beautiful and it was sad. it was good, too. it was like the end of a journey. on a day of mixed emotions, brian says mission accomplished. father/son reunited at last on the same soil.

>> our thanks to nbc's anne thompson for that final homecoming. that's it for this week, enjoy your weekend and here is ali velshi. >> that's an excellent story. thank you very much. hello everyone, it is friday, august 9th. americans are calling for gun control, two in particular. president trump and mcconnell are considering background checks for guns. we have an intel turmoil on hands. what's happening to the men and women who are swept up in the i.c.e. raids this week. startling details that climate change could create a massive global food shortage. this climate scientist quits after his research is