Rachel Maddow sorry for tearing up on air about immigrant babies being sent to 'tender age' shelters

MSNBC political commentator Rachel Maddow broke down in tears late Tuesday while trying to deliver a report on immigrant babies and toddlers being separated from their parents and being sent to "tender age" shelters on the southern U.S. border.

The host of "The Rachel Maddow Show" was live on air when she tried to read The Associated Press' story. After trying to get through the first couple of sentences, Maddow was overcome with emotion.

"I think I’m going to have to hand this off. Sorry, that does it for us tonight. We’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, choking back tears before passing the broadcast over to "The Last Word" host Lawrence O'Donnell.

After the show, Maddow took to Twitter and apologized with a link to the story.

"Ugh, I'm sorry," she tweeted, adding: “If nothing else, it is my job to actually be able to speak while I’m on TV. Again, I apologize for losing it there for a moment. Not the way I intended that to go, not by a mile.”

The moment comes as the Trump administration has faced withering critiques over its zero-tolerance immigration policy. Since early May, more than 2,300 children have been taken from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to AP.

Contributing: Associated Press

WPXI