An argument between two top aides of US President Donald Trump came out of the Oval Office as disagreements over how to deal with illegal immigration escalated, two sources told Reuters.
The sources said the clash occurred Thursday between White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a former secretary of homeland security and Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton.
One source described the debate as a "sharp exchange" that broke out of control and touched on the performance of Homeland Security Secretary Kerstchen Nielsen, former Kelly's deputy. "It was not a big problem," another source said.
Asked about the incident, Trump told reporters: "I have not heard of it."
Nelson and Bolton later exchanged a friendly conversation at the Bolton office and agreed that the goal was to protect the border, a senior White House official said.
The New York Times reported earlier this year that Nelson was about to resign after Trump criticized her at a government meeting over what he described as her failure to secure the US border.
"While we are trying to resolve the issue of illegal immigration, we do not get angry at each other, but we are very angry at not helping Democrats in Congress solve this growing crisis," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
The US president said earlier this week that he was considering several options to tighten border security, noting that the separation of migrant families on the border could deter illegal immigration.
In June, Trump abandoned his policy of separating migrant children from their parents on the border between the United States and Mexico after the images of children in cages angered both at home and abroad.
But some Trump administration officials said the policy of separating 2,600 children from their parents was necessary to secure borders and deter illegal immigration.
A new policy could make illegal immigration a key theme in November 6 congressional elections, where Democrats are expected to regain control of the House of Representatives.
Democrats oppose the Republican administration's current approach to tougher measures to counter illegal immigration.
