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Would move larger numbers of troops longer distances. we've been asked for nothing more right now. >> mattis says there are currently 5900 troops deployed to the border and he anticipated that number will go up to around 7,000. a lot of us waking up to the weather this morning. >> this is like a mid december, maybe even january type storm where you start off snow and sleet in many areas going over to rain this afternoon. overnight the snow fell in areas like st. louis, ice storm in the ohio valley. now the worst of it's beginning to push into pennsylvania. washington, d.c., you're about 39 d...

Border authorities. >> have you spoken to officials in the pentagon who fear that they were used here for a political stunt premid terms? >> i think there is no question that any military person -- some of them have said this very privately -- knows there were political overtones to this. there was the rush to get all of these troops. there are about 5,900 of them, nowhere near 15,000 before the mid terms. you heard president trump talking or tweeting about the threat of the caravans every day. that is all somehow just gone away. they used active duty troops because they have the authority to ...

Secretary, due to the number of people coming this way, to back them up. what does that mean? it means that we're standing behind them as a confidence builder, and that sort of thing. >> so the department of homeland security is in charge, and the customs and border patrol and presumably other agencies are there providing the security. and the troops are there as a confidence builder? what does that -- >> yeah, i didn't know that that's what american troops did. i thought -- you know, and if you listen to what the president was saying, he was saying this was an invasion and they would be there...

Defense secretary james mattis checking up on the troops at the bare bones military camp on the texas border with mexico. 5,900 troops deployed to stop caravans of migrants, still hundreds of miles from the>> th. that's an invasion. >> reporter: but on the ground, the reality is different. mattis reiterating, the military will not be confronting the migrants as he defended the mission. >> obviously, a moral and ethical mission to support our border patrolmen. >> reporter: 1,300 of those troops in texas, largely tasked with putting up concertina wire for migrants coming north and may try to cro...

Hearing mattis said on board the flight down to the border. he said as of last night there is about 5900 troops deployed to the border and said he anticipates that number could go up to as high as 7,000. but they will give daily updates on those numbers so they can stay more accurate. do you think that's needed? >> i would say probably depending on the situation on the border. i've been asked that question is it too much? i say what's too much? we're securing our border, we're protecting our nation. it is better to overplan and overrespond than underplan and underrespond. we're talking about o...