WASHINGTON – Two of the president's closest advisers clashed Thursday at the White House over immigration policy, two officials said.

Bloomberg and CNN have for the first time reported on the heated exchange between Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Advisor John Bolton.

The argument was centered on an increase in the number of border crossings. Bolton reportedly criticized the performance of DHS and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and Kelly expressed dissatisfaction.

Earlier in the day, the president blew up a caravan of Honduran migrants who were going to the border to seek asylum in the United States.

Some White House members have criticized Nielsen, an ally of Kelly, for not doing more to secure the US border with Mexico.

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More: Trump: end of aid to the countries of Central America allowing a caravan of migrants to travel to the United States

White House officials tried to fend off the protesters after reports of fierce fighting.

"We are passionate about solving the problem of illegal immigration, but we are not angry at each other," said Sarah Sanders, press secretary at the White House, in a statement. a statement. She is however furious with the failure of congressional Democrats to help us solve this growing crisis. "

Trump, while traveling to a rally in Montana, said he had "not heard" of the incident.

Earlier Thursday, the president had railed at the Hondurans, who were fleeing poverty and violence in the north of the country, and threatened to close the border completely if the group had not stopped.

"I must, in the strongest terms, ask Mexico to put an end to this attack – and if I could not do it, I will call on the US military and CLOSE OUR SOUTH FRONTIER!" Trump posted on Twitter.

Already, President Donald Trump had threatened to suspend any aid to Honduras and neighboring countries, such as Guatemala and El Salvador, where migrants have passed.

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