CNN’s Anderson Cooper sharply criticized President Donald Trump for a series of self-defensive and dismissive tweets sent in the past 24 hours that sought to minimize the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the US-Mexico border: “The message from the president is, basically: ‘Kids, suck it up, it’s not that bad.'”

As growing numbers of news reports and Congressional inspections have found unhealthy and overcrowded conditions at immigrant detention facilities along the border, Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric in defending them. On Wednesday, he dismissed the mounting outrage over his administration’s handling of a surge of asylum seekers suffering in often harsh and unsanitary conditions, saying instead that these immigrants are living “far better now than where they came from.”

“You might say, well, at least he seems to be acknowledging that many of these human beings in detention fled from unsafe conditions in their homes, in their home countries,” Cooper said. “What he actually means, of course, is: ‘Quit complaining.’ And to the kids in cages without soap or toothbrushes or any clear idea of what’s going to happen to them or if they’re going to see their families again, seems like the message from the president is, basically: ‘Kids, suck it up. It’s not that bad.’

“We should underscore that custody means ‘in care of,’ not just detained by,” Cooper added. “Custody implies responsibility, accountability, and a duty to care. It also should be pointed out that not only do the reports of substandard conditions come from lawmakers visiting the detention centers, not only do they come from pediatricians, one of whom you’ll meet in a moment, they also come from the Department of Homeland Security’s own Inspector General’s office and from a veteran CBP agent who compares conditions to a zoo.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.