Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski defends controversial comments on 10-year-old migrant girl with down syndrome affected by family-separation policy

• Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski defended himself for mocking a commentator during a Fox News segment.
• The commentator was discussing a 10-year-old migrant girl with down syndrome who was separated from her family at the US-Mexico border.
• Lewandowski was slammed on social media for his comments. 
• The former Trump campaign manager also inaccurately claimed the family-separation policy began under former President Barack Obama.

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Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski on Wednesday defended himself after appearing to mock another commentator's concern for 10-year-old migrant girl with down syndrome who was separated from her family at the US-Mexico border.

"Lots of Fake News today," Lewandowski tweeted. "I mocked a liberal who attempted to politicize children as opposed to discussing the real issue which is fixing a broken immigration system. It's offensive that the MSM doesn't want to talk about the fact these policies were started under Obama."

On a Fox News segment Tuesday, former Hillary Clinton campaign aide Zac Petkanas said talked about the girl.

"Look, I read today about a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was taken from her mother and put in a cage." 

As Petkanas spoke, Lewandowski said, "Womp womp."

His remarks enraged Petkanas, who replied, "Did you just say 'womp womp' to a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome being taken from her mother?"

Lewandowski was slammed on social media for his remarks.

Lewandowski is quite unpopular on Twitter at the moment

The former Trump campaign manager incorrectly claimed the policy of separating families at the border 'started under Obama'

Former President Barack Obama's immigration policies were specifically designed to avoid pulling families apart. Family separation occurred on rare occasions under Obama's administration, but these families were typically reunited in an expeditious fashion. 

President Donald Trump's administration has instituted a "zero tolerance" immigration policy that's essentially led it to prosecute any adult caught illegally crossing the border, which has catalyzed the broad separation of families. 

Trump has been criticized by both sides of the aisle for the separation policy, including by Republican Sen. John McCain. 

"The administration's current family separation policy is an affront to the decency of the American people, and contrary to principles and values upon which our nation was founded," McCain recently said. "The administration has the power to rescind this policy. It should do so now."