Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus phoned Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon, urging him to tone down his controversial comments on immigration.
The Washington Post reported that Priebus spent about an hour speaking to the GOP presidential candidate, a move that was motivated by concerns from party leaders.
Trump has refused to back down from his statements on immigration, even as fellow Republican hopefuls such as former Govs. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Rick Perry (Texas) have labeled them offensive. The business mogul told NBC News in an interview that "there's nothing to apologize for."
RNC chief strategist Sean Spicer confirmed Priebus' call with Trump, describing it as a "very respectful conversation."
"Chairman Priebus often speaks privately with candidates seeking our party’s nomination," Spicer said in a statement. "He did have a very respectful conversation with Mr. Trump on Wednesday. They discussed multiple comments, including comments on illegal immigration."
A Republican source told CNN that Priebus said at the end of the conversation, "Look, I've gotta tell you, I spent four years trying to make inroads with the Hispanic community ... how we address illegal immigration is very important."
Trump campaign spokesman Corey Lewandowski described the call as nothing "unusual" for "the leading candidate for the GOP nomination."
The business mogul has since challenged reports about the phone conversation, writing on Twitter Thursday morning, "Totally false reporting on my call with @Reince Priebus. He called me, ten minutes, said I hit a 'nerve,' doing well, end!"