Trump apparently caved on migrant family separation because of bad cable news coverage

Trump was persuaded to reverse course on immigration by TV coverage

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, President Trump did something no politician likes to do: He at least tacitly admitted he was wrong and made a dramatic retreat. Just about everyone outside the White House urged him to stop separating families detained at the border under his "zero tolerance" policy — Republicans, Democrats, the pope, every living first lady (including the one currently living in the White House), pollsters — but none of that convinced him to cave and sign his executive order, reports Mike Allen at Axios. "TV was the tipping point."

"The president watches more cable news than most Americans," a "person who knows Trump's mind" told Axios. "So he experienced an overdose of the outrage and the media frenzy. None of the White House messaging seemed to be helping. So he decided, mostly on his own rather than at the urging of advisers, that some action was required to change the narrative." A source close to Trump added: "This was the biggest communications fail I've seen out of this White House, and that's really saying something. The president, senior staffers, Cabinet members, and outside surrogates all trumpeted different talking points."

In fact, according to The Washington Post's count, the Trump administration changed its story on family separation at least 14 times.

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Clearly, Trump "acted because of political necessity, not a change of heart," writes Los Angeles Times political columnist George Skelton. "The heart-rending sound of children crying for their mothers and the disturbing sight of little kids confined in wire cages are more powerful than any president." All the talking points in the world couldn't put out that "wildfire of public revulsion," he said. So "Trump finally did the right thing and stopped tormenting little kids. At least for now. We don't know what he'll do next, but hopefully there'll be sound and video."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.