MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Breaks into Tears Trying to Read Story About the Trump Administration Detaining Babies and Toddlers

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow found herself unable to finish her show Tuesday night as she broke into tears reading a story about President Donald Trump's administration detaining babies and toddlers.

"This has just come out from the Associated Press," she said, reading the story on air. "This is incredible."

She continued: "The Trump administration has been sending babies and other young children... oh, hold on..."

She started to cry and was unable to finish reading the story on air. She tried once more to read the story through, but the tears stopped her again. Instead of continuing, she just decided to close out the show and let host Lawrence O'Donnell begin "The Last Word."

The story that was too heartbreaking to read details the arrangements the government has made to keep so-called "tender age" children — those under 13 — in holding centers after separating them from their immigrant parents. The government says it only separates unauthorized immigrant families, but those who are separated have not been convicted of any crime and many attempt to apply for asylum.

The story begins:

Trump administration officials have been sending babies and other young children forcibly separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border to at least three “tender age” shelters in South Texas, The Associated Press has learned.

Lawyers and medical providers who have visited the Rio Grande Valley shelters described play rooms of crying preschool-age children in crisis. The government also plans to open a fourth shelter to house hundreds of young migrant children in Houston, where city leaders denounced the move Tuesday.

"Ugh, I'm sorry," Maddow said on Twitter after the episode. "If nothing else, it is my job to actually be able to speak while I'm on TV."

Watch the clip of Maddow below: