Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to a Texas facility Thursday to get a first-hand look at some of the migrant children sent there by the US government after their families entered the country illegally.

The first lady’s stop at Upbring New Hope Children’s Center in McAllen came the morning after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the practice of separating these families. She may also visit a second facility later in the day where children housed in cages were seen by The Associated Press last week. Trump had come under pressure to stop the practice, including from GOP allies and the first lady herself, following a public outcry sparked by widespread images of children held in fence-like structures.

The trip was intended to lend support to those children who remain separated from their parents, said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s spokeswoman. “She wanted to see everything for herself,” Grisham said.

Read: Melania Trump ‘hates’ to see families separated at border

The president had insisted incorrectly that his administration had no choice but to separate families apprehended at the border because children cannot go to jail with adults who are being criminally prosecuted for crossing the border illegally. Trump had said only Congress could fix the problem and he specifically pointed a finger at Democrats.

He reversed course Wednesday by signing the order ending separations and keeping families together when they are in custody, at least for the next few weeks. The administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy of criminally prosecuting illegal border-crossers, which has led to the removal of some 2,300 children from their parents since May, remains.

Accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Mrs Trump met with the executive director of the facility and other staff in a makeshift conference room where she was told the staff treated the 58 children housed there as if they were their own. The first lady asked that the children be reunited with their families “as quickly as possible.”

The trip came together within the past 48 hours, Grisham said. “She told her staff she wanted to go and we made that happen,” she said.

Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, said that his wife was “down at the border,” and Grisham said that the first lady had the full backing of her husband. “She told him ‘I am headed down to Texas’ and he was supportive.”

Also read: All five first ladies speak out on family separations at border

Mrs Trump, whose focus as the first lady is on child well-being, appears to have been among those pushing her husband to act.

Grisham released a statement last weekend saying the first lady “hates” to see children separated from their families and “believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart.”

Hours before Trump used his executive order to halt family separations, a White House official let it be known that Mrs Trump had been voicing her opinion to the president for some time, including that he needed to help families stay together. The official refused to be identified discussing Trump’s private conversations with his wife.

Trump acknowledged Wednesday that the mother of his 12-year-old son, Barron, had been prodding him. “My wife feels very strongly about it,” he told reporters after he signed the order.

The pair of statements from the first lady amounted to an unusual public intervention by Mrs Trump into a policy debate. Her four former living predecessors, seemingly encouraged after Laura Bush authored a scathing opinion piece, followed with sharper commentary of their own condemning the family separations as shameful.

The last-minute trip to Texas marks the first public action by Mrs Trump since she announced in May an initiative named “Be Best” to focus on the overall well-being of children and help teach them kindness. She had been expected to travel to promote the campaign but was sidelined a week after the announcement following surgery to treat a benign kidney condition.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> Melania Trump is visiting two Texas facilities housing some of the more than 2,300 migrant children sent by the U.S. government after their families entered the country illegally.

The first lady's visit to Upbring New Hope Children's Center on Thursday comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the practice of separating families. However, his policy of criminally prosecuting illegal border-crossers remains.

Mrs. Trump, whose focus is on children, may have helped encourage her husband to act.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump arrives for a discussion with doctors and social workers at the Upbring New Hope Childrens Center June 21, 2018 in McAllen, Texas.

The first lady said earlier through her spokeswoman that she "hates" to see families separated at the border. A White House official followed up Wednesday, saying Mrs. Trump had been making her opinion known to the president that he needed to act to keep migrant families together.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> First lady Melania Trump made an unusual visit Thursday to a Texas facility housing migrant children who have been separated from their parents, as the Trump administration backtracks on its harsh enforcement policy for families crossing the border illegally.

The visit, which was not announced ahead of time, is another sign that members of President Donald Trump's own family have been uncomfortable with the policy of removing children from their families. Trump reversed the policy on Wednesday, but the next steps for children like those Melania Trump saw Thursday are not yet clear.

"I'm here to learn about your facility," Melania Trump said as she received a briefing about the work of Upbring New Hope Children's Shelter. She told facility directors that she wants to "ask you how I can help these children be reunited with their families as quickly as possible."

President Trump announced the visit at the start of a Cabinet meeting at the White House, saying that Melania Trump had gone to the border "because it really bothered her to be looking at this and seeing it, as it bothered me."

Trump accused congressional Democrats of deliberately blocking potential solutions, falsely saying that Democrats are responsible for "loopholes" that "lead to family separation." The separation policy is one option under federal law, but Trump's administration made the enforcement decision and then changed that enforcement.

"They're the worst immigration laws in the history of the world," Trump said. "The rest of the world is laughing."

Trump also criticized Mexico, which he said "does nothing" to prevent illegal immigration.

"Mexico is doing nothing except taking our money and sending us drugs and doing nothing," Trump said. "They could solve this problem in two minutes."

Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and adviser, tweeted Thursday that "it is time to focus on swiftly and safely reuniting the families that have been separated."

Melania Trump's communications director, Stephanie Grisham, told reporters traveling with her that the first lady had asked Tuesday that the trip be organized, one day before the president issued an executive order changing his policy.

"I don't know what she knew. She knew what she wanted to do, and she told us," Grisham said.

"She wanted to see everything for herself. . . . She supports family reunification. She thinks that it's important that children stay with their families."

"This was 100 percent her idea. She absolutely wanted to come" and did not change her mind after the executive order was issued, Grisham added.

"She wants to see what's happening for herself, and she wants to lend her support - executive order or not. The executive order certainly is helping pave the way a little bit, but there's still a lot to be done."

President Trump supported the trip but did not send his wife on his behalf, Grisham said.

"This was her decision. She told her staff she wanted to go and we made that happen. He is supportive of it but she told him, 'I'm headed down to Texas,' and he supported it."

The facility in McAllen, Texas, is operated by Lutheran Social Services. Directors told the first lady that children there are ages 12 and older and that most had arrived at the border without their parents. That means they are not the toddlers and young children whose anguish at being recently separated from their families has fueled broad criticism of the administration.

"She's seen the images. She's heard the recordings," Grisham said. "She was on top of the situation before any of that came out. She was concerned about it."

The spokeswoman said she does not know whether the first lady's own background as an immigrant affected her thinking. Melania Trump immigrated to the U.S. from her native Slovenia.

"When she came into this country, she did it legally, and she feels that everybody should enter the country legally," Grisham said. </s> Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to a Texas facility Thursday to get a first-hand look at some of the migrant children sent there by the U.S. government after their families entered the country illegally.

The first lady's stop at Upbring New Hope Children's Center in McAllen came the morning after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the practice of separating these families. She may also visit a second facility later in the day where children housed in cages were seen by The Associated Press last week. Trump had come under pressure to stop the practice, including from GOP allies and the first lady herself, following a public outcry sparked by widespread images of children held in fence-like structures.

The trip was intended to lend support to those children who remain separated from their parents, said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman.

"She wanted to see everything for herself," Grisham said.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump arrives for a discussion with doctors and social workers at the Upbring New Hope Childrens Center June 21, 2018 in McAllen, Texas.

The president had insisted incorrectly that his administration had no choice but to separate families apprehended at the border because children cannot go to jail with adults who are being criminally prosecuted for crossing the border illegally. Trump had said only Congress could fix the problem and he specifically pointed a finger at Democrats.

He reversed course Wednesday by signing the order ending separations and keeping families together when they are in custody, at least for the next few weeks. The administration's "zero-tolerance" policy of criminally prosecuting illegal border-crossers, which has led to the removal of some 2,300 children from their parents since May, remains.

Accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Mrs. Trump met with the executive director of the facility and other staff in a makeshift conference room where she was told the staff treated the 58 children housed there as if they were their own.

The first lady asked that the children be reunited with their families "as quickly as possible."

The trip came together within the past 48 hours, Grisham said.

"She told her staff she wanted to go and we made that happen," she said.

Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, said that his wife was "down at the border,'" and Grisham said that the first lady had the full backing of her husband.

"She told him 'I am headed down to Texas' and he was supportive."

Mrs. Trump, whose focus as first lady is on child well-being, appears to have been among those pushing her husband to act.

Grisham released a statement last weekend saying the first lady "hates" to see children separated from their families and "believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart."

Hours before Trump used his executive order to halt family separations, a White House official let it be known that Mrs. Trump had been voicing her opinion to the president for some time, including that he needed to help families stay together. The official refused to be identified discussing Trump's private conversations with his wife.

Trump acknowledged Wednesday that the mother of his 12-year-old son, Barron, had been prodding him.

"My wife feels very strongly about it," he told reporters after he signed the order.

The pair of statements from the first lady amounted to an unusual public intervention by Mrs. Trump into a policy debate. Her four former living predecessors, seemingly encouraged after Laura Bush authored a scathing opinion piece, followed with sharper commentary of their own condemning the family separations as shameful.

The last-minute trip to Texas marks the first public action by Mrs. Trump since she announced in May an initiative named "Be Best" to focus on the overall well-being of children and help teach them kindness. She had been expected to travel to promote the campaign but was sidelined a week after the announcement following surgery to treat a benign kidney condition.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> PHOENIX — First lady Melania Trump made a second visit to a border state Thursday, meeting face to face with people directly affected by her husband’s hard-line immigration policies.

“I’m here to support you and give my help, whatever I can” on “behalf of children and the families,” Mrs. Trump said as she sat down with officials at a U.S. Border Patrol facility in Tucson, Arizona, the first stop of her trip. She later travelled to Phoenix, where she visited a complex that is housing dozens of migrant children separated from their parents.

It was the first lady’s second trip to a border state amid an ongoing outcry over President Donald Trump’s now-suspended policy of separating migrant children from their families when they cross the border illegally. Many were placed hundreds of miles away from one another and have been struggling to be reunited.

“She cares about children deeply and when the news started to hit, I think she was very concerned and wanted to make sure the kids are being well taken care of,” Mrs. Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said on the flight to Arizona.

“She doesn’t like to see parents and kids separated.”

In Washington, Capitol Police said 575 protesters were arrested and escorted out of the Hart Senate Office Building in a mass demonstration that called for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and an end to migrant family detentions and the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

The women were charged with unlawfully demonstrating, a misdemeanor.

“I have two kids, and as a white mother, there is almost no circumstance that they would be taken away from me – ever,” said Victoria Farris, who slept Wednesday night in All Souls Church after participating in civil disobedience training. “I was awake one night because I couldn’t sleep thinking about all those [immigrant] mothers and terrified children. I realized I had to do something more than protest, more than make a sign and march.”

Protesters unfurled banners inside the Hart building Thursday as others staged a sit-in, wrapping themselves in shiny, silver space blankets. The political banners, which aren’t allowed in the building’s lobby, were confiscated by police.

Just after 3 p.m., protesters were rounded up in groups of a dozen or more and led out of the building.

“Abolish ICE,” they shouted as more were moved out. “Shut it down.”

Demonstrators continued to sing and chant as they were led away.

When the first group was escorted out of the building, the remaining crowd erupted in cheers.

As police continued to clear the area, several senators greeted demonstrators, including Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

“I join them in calling on the Trump administration to reunite these families and give these kids back to their parents,” Duckworth said. “On my side of things, I ask my colleagues, let’s pass, finally, sensible immigration reform.”

Actress Susan Sarandon, who marched at the front as the protest made its way down Constitution Avenue, was arrested with a group of demonstrators.

It took about an hour to clear the women from the building.

The protest began hours earlier at Freedom Plaza, where hundreds of women robed in white and carrying signs deriding the Trump administration’s immigration policy had gathered. The protest was organized by a coalition of groups, including the Women’s March and the immigrant advocacy organization Casa de Maryland.

Several participants wrote “WE CARE” on their palms, a rebuke of the jacket first lady Melania Trump wore on her first trip to visit detained children near the border.

On Thursday, Mrs. Trump made her second trip in a risk-averse ensemble of a black sweater and white slacks.

The first lady’s first trip to the region, a week ago Thursday, had been overshadowed by a jacket she wore to and from the border town of McAllen, Texas, that had a baffling message on the back: “I really don’t care, do u?”

The choice ignited the internet and spawned a slew of memes about what the first lady, a former model, may have meant. Her spokeswoman said it was just a jacket, with no hidden message. But the first lady’s husband undercut the no-message message by tweeting that she was saying she really doesn’t care about the “fake news” media.

On Thursday, Mrs. Trump visited what officials described as a short-term holding centre for migrant children in Tucson and then travelled to Phoenix, where she visited Southwest Key Campbell, which receives grant money from the Department of Health and Human Services. A total of 121 children are being held at the facility, including 81 who had been separated from their parents.

Mrs. Trump visited three classrooms, including one day care room with nine babies or toddlers. Another classroom had five cribs lined up against a wall.

A staffer at the facility said the children had been there, on average, 48 days.

Grisham said the first lady wanted to learn about the border processes making news around the world.

Asked whether the first lady agrees with her husband’s polices, Grisham said, “She definitely believes in strong border laws,” and wants Congress to strengthen immigration policies. But she also believes in “governing with heart,” Grisham said.

More than 2,300 children have been separated from their parents at the border in recent weeks, and some were placed in government-contracted shelters hundreds of miles away from their parents.

The president last week signed an executive order to halt the separation of families at the border, at least for a few weeks, but the order did not address the reunification of families already separated.

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered that thousands of migrant children and parents be reunited within 30 days — and sooner if the youngster is under 5. The order poses logistical problems for the administration, and it was unclear how it would meet the deadline.

With files from The Washington Post </s> Melania Trump is the First Lady of the US and wife of Donald Trump. The pair married in 2005, and Melania stood by her husbands side throughout is presidential campaign and leadership. Now the couple have left the White House together after Donald announced a national emergency over funds for his planned Mexico boarder wall. Melania and Donald were seen hand in hand heating for a private jet on the White House lawn yesterday.

Donald looked upbeat as he happily waved at photographers. Melania also wore a big smile as she heading for the aeroplane. The couple were heading to Florida for the weekend, to their huge private members club in Palm Beach. Mar-a-Lago is known as the Winter House, although Donald has owned the sprawling estate for many years. Donald Trump called a national emergency on Friday after he failed to get backing for his boarder wall.

The wall, to sit on the boarder between the USA and Mexico, was a huge element of Trump’s campaign. Donald Trump promised the and also claimed that Mexico would pay for it. However, things have not gone too smoothly from the businessman-turned-politcian when it comes to implementing his wall. Beside a photo of the President in the White House, the White House Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders, wrote on Twitter: “President @realDonaldTrump signs the Declaration for a National Emergency to address the national security and humanitarian crisis at the Southern Border.” According to estimates, this emergency declaration could see him access $8 billion (around £6.2 billion) to pay for part of the wall. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Five numbers that explain US border crisis

US President Donald Trump has announced tariffs on all goods coming from Mexico, demanding the country curb illegal immigration into the US.

In a tweet, Mr Trump said that from 10 June a 5% tariff would be imposed and would slowly rise "until the illegal immigration problem is remedied".

Jesús Seade, Mexico's top diplomat for North America, said the proposed tariffs would be "disastrous".

Mr Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border in February.

He said it was necessary in order to tackle what he claimed was a crisis at the US southern border.

Border agents say they are overwhelmed, but critics say they are mishandling and mistreating migrants.

On Thursday, US border authorities in El Paso, Texas, said a group of more than 1,000 migrants were detained on Wednesday - the largest single group agents had encountered.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption CCTV captures the moment hundreds of migrants cross into the US

Robert Perez, customs and border protection deputy commissioner, said the apprehension "demonstrates the severity of the border security and humanitarian crisis at our south-west border".

The US president has long accused Mexico of not doing enough to stem the flow of people, and this is his latest attempt to put pressure on the neighbouring state.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The migrants caught on Wednesday came from Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador and included entire families, agents said

Mr Seade said Mexico "must respond vigorously" if the tariffs - a tax on products made abroad - were brought in.

However, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador responded by saying he did not want "confrontation".

"I propose deepening our dialogue, to look for other alternatives to the migration problem," he wrote in a letter on Thursday.

During his election campaign and throughout his time in office, President Trump has sought funds to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

He declared the national emergency at the border in an attempt to divert federal funds for a barrier wall, but a judge blocked his efforts in May.

The White House said on Thursday that the president would use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement the new tariffs on Mexico.

The announcement came the same day that the White House told Congress it planned to pursue a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada.

What did Donald Trump announce?

In a White House statement, Mr Trump said the tariffs would rise by five percentage points each month until 1 October, when the rate would reach 25%.

The tariffs would stay at that level "unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory", he said.

"For years, Mexico has not treated us fairly - but we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign nation," the statement said.

The president also took aim at his Democratic opponents, accusing them of a "total dereliction of duty" over border security.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is taking legal action to halt the Trump administration's efforts to build a border wall, saying it would be a waste of funds and would not stop illegal immigration.

Amid record numbers of migrants crossing the border, the deaths of six sick children in US custody since September have raised questions about the level of care provided by US authorities.

The ramifications of Trump's latest trade war

Andrew Walker, BBC economics correspondent

President Trump's latest tariff proposal is driven by a political issue - which is not to say that previous tariff moves did not have any politics behind them. But it is sure to have financial and economic consequences.

Stock markets in many countries have already registered significant falls. Japanese car makers were among those hit - they have operations in Mexico which will be affected if President Trump does go ahead.

Perhaps he hoped that a welcome side effect would be improved competitiveness for American industry.

Well, half the potential impact for the first stage in the proposed tariffs hikes was wiped immediately by a decline in the value of the Mexican peso, which has the effect of making Mexico a little more competitive, at least until the tariffs come into effect.

There could also be ramifications for the new trade deal between the US, Mexico and Canada. It will probably make the Mexican Congress a lot more wary about approving the accord.

What has Mexico done to tackle migration?

Migrants, most of whom say they are fleeing violence in Central American countries, travel through Mexico on their way to the US, where they hope to claim asylum.

Mr Trump believes they should be stopped long before they reach the border, however.

Police do appear to have been cracking down, with 400 migrants detained in the southern state of Chiapas in April.

President López Obrador used the arrests to emphasise the country was not giving migrants "free passage".

However, he added that it was out of concern for the migrants' safety over anything else.

What will the tariffs affect?

Mexico was the second largest supplier of goods to the US last year, with imports totalling $352bn (£275bn), according to Goldman Sachs.

It is known for agricultural products like avocados and tequila, but the country is also a major manufacturing hub and home to many US companies.

The country produces hundreds of thousands of cars every month, and is also home to technology and aerospace companies. It is one of the G20 economies.

US firms Ford, General Motors, John Deere, IBM and Coca-Cola all operate in Mexico, as well as thousands of other multinationals.

The president's statement comes amid a trade war with China.

After complaining for years about the US trade deficit with China, Mr Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods coming from the country. </s> The Latest: Coliseum decked out in Christmas decor for Trump

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump in Mississippi (all times local):

Christmas has come to Biloxi, Mississippi, as President Donald Trump holds his second rally of the day in the state.

The Mississippi Coast Coliseum has been decked out in an elaborate display that includes dozens of evergreens, a gigantic fake chimney, complete with stockings and a wreath, and Santa's present-filled sleigh. There are also large nutcrackers and even a blow-up helicopter with moving rotor and penguins inside.

During his campaign, Trump railed against what he described as a war against Christmas and promised that, if elected, "people would be saying Merry Christmas again."

Trump is campaigning for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is facing a tough runoff election against Democrat Mike Espy on Tuesday as she seeks to keep her seat.

President Donald Trump is defending his government's use of tear gas on women and children in a group of Central American migrants that included some who tried to storm the border in Tijuana over the weekend.

At a roundtable in Mississippi on Monday, Trump asked why mothers had put themselves and their children in harm's way. He says, "You really say, 'Why is a parent running up into an area where they know the tear gas is forming and it's going to be formed and they were running up with a child?'"

Without offering evidence, he claimed that some of the women are not really parents but are instead "grabbers" who steal children so that they have a better chance of being granted asylum in the U.S.

Many of the female migrants have said they are seeking better lives for themselves and their children, away from gang violence and poverty.

President Donald Trump says Vice President Mike Pence and daughter Ivanka Trump plan to attend the Mexican presidential inauguration on Saturday.

Trump made the announcement Monday at a roundtable discussion to promote prison and sentencing reform legislation in Mississippi.

The White House has said Trump has developed a "strong relationship" with incoming Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and looks forward to working with him.

The two countries are working to find a solution for the caravans of Central American migrants traversing through Mexico in hopes of seeking asylum in the U.S.

Trump had an uncomfortable relationship with the outgoing administration of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Trump had promised during his 2016 campaign to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and have Mexico pay for it. Pena Nieto refused.

President Donald Trump is hailing prison and sentencing reform legislation as a "great bipartisan effort" as he holds a roundtable discussion to promote it during a campaign jaunt to Mississippi.

Among those in attendance Monday are Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Miss Mississippi Asya Branch, who is wearing a gown and crown.

Trump has called on Congress to pass a new version of the "First Step Act" that would make it easier for nonviolent offenders to amass credits to get out of prison early and change some mandatory minimum sentencing rules.

The Senate announced it has reached a bipartisan deal on the issue, but if remains unclear whether Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell will choose to hold a vote in the lame-duck session before Democrats take control of the House in 2019.

President Donald Trump is defending his administration's response to Central American migrants who tried to illegally cross the border in Tijuana.

The action on Sunday prompted a chaotic clash that included U.S. agents firing choking tear gas into the crowds.

Trump said Monday at a campaign rally in Mississippi that he is sending the caravan members a clear message: "Turn around and go back home."

He tells that crowd that "we don't want those people in Mississippi" and that migrants are "not coming through anymore" illegally.

In the days leading up to the midterm elections, Trump likened the approaching caravans to an "invasion."

His comments at one point prompted the crowd to chant, "Build that wall!"

Opening a political rally in Tupelo, Mississippi — the birthplace of Elvis Presley — President Donald Trump is joking that people used to say he looked like the king of rock 'n' roll.

Trump was in Mississippi stumping for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is in a Senate runoff. She is running against Democrat Mike Espy in a contest that has increasingly taken on racial overtones.

Trump says that when he was young, "other than the blond hair, they said I looked like Elvis."

The midterms are over, but President Donald Trump is back campaigning in Mississippi to help GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith keep her seat in Republican hands.

Trump is holding two rallies Monday to help Hyde-Smith finish the final two years of the term started by Republican Thad Cochran.

Hyde-Smith is in a tight runoff Tuesday against Democrat Mike Espy, a former congressman and agriculture secretary under President Bill Clinton. Espy would be the first African-American to represent the state in the Senate since Reconstruction.

The election has been dominated by racial issues, after a photo emerged of Hyde-Smith wearing a replica hat of a Confederate soldier and a video emerged of her saying she'd be "on the front row" of a public hanging if invited.

President Donald Trump is heading to Mississippi for two rallies to try to keep a Senate seat in Republican hands.

Trump will be campaigning Monday for GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is in a runoff Tuesday against Democrat Mike Espy. The former congressman was agriculture secretary under President Bill Clinton.

Espy is trying to become the first African-American to represent Mississippi in the Senate since Reconstruction.

Trump plans to speak Monday afternoon at a rally in Tupelo and then that night at a rally in Biloxi.

Trump returned Sunday evening from Florida, where he spent the Thanksgiving holiday at his Mar-a-Lago club. He visited his nearby golf course all five days he spent in Florida, and he took time to talk to troops stationed abroad on Thanksgiving Day. </s> First Lady Melania Trump will join President Donald Trump in traveling to Texas on Tuesday, August 29. This news was confirmed via Vice President Mike Pence, who let interview listeners know that Melania would indeed accompany President Trump to Texas in the wake of devastation brought to the area by Hurricane Harvey. However, logistics for Melania’s travel with President Trump to Texas means that the president will not travel to Houston, but perhaps Austin or San Antonio, so that their won’t detract from the ongoing rescue efforts in the region.

As reported by the Washington Examiner, Melania’s spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, also confirmed that Melania would travel with her husband to Texas on Tuesday when Grishman posted the news on Twitter.

The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, confirmed that President Trump would not go to Houston during his trip with Melania to the area so as not to put themselves in the way of harm or hamper any rescue efforts.

“The place he will be going to will not be Houston, so [he] will not be getting into harm’s way or interrupting the evacuations or emergency response in the Houston area. He most likely will be going closer to where the hurricane hit land.”

President Trump and Melania recently returned from Camp David with their 11-year-old son, Barron Trump, as seen in the above photo from Sunday, August 27. Soon after their weekend trip at Camp David, Melania and President Trump will find themselves traveling once more, this time to Texas.

As reported by Heavy, people have turned to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to post photos of folks stranded on rooftops who were in need of rescue after flooding caused waters to rise in their homes. People also turned to social media to voice their frustration at calling 911 and other emergency numbers and not getting immediate answers, as reported by the Inquisitr. With more rain expected to come into the area, Houston officials noted additional personnel coming into the area to help meet the demand of folks in the flooded streets.

Chief Art Acevedo of the Houston Police Department spoke of the ongoing rescue efforts still underway in Houston, along with Houston’s mayor, at a press conference on Monday morning. Chief Acevedo urged people in desperate need of help to continue to call 911 and to remain on the line instead of hanging up and calling back.
First Lady Melania Trump makes a surprise visit to the US-Mexico border to get a firsthand look at the immigration crisis.