President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated by his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Politico is reporting.
The website attributed its information to four current and former senior administration officials.
Mulvaney, who is Trump's third chief of staff in less than two and a half years, is not in danger of losing his job anytime soon, according to Politico. But the sources say the president's recent treatment of Mulvaney shows the slow deterioration of their relationship has already begun.
Politico noted that speculation about Mulvaney increased earlier this month when Trump told him to leave the room for coughing during an ABC News interview.
"If you're going to cough, please leave the room," Trump said. "You just can't, you just can't cough. Boy, oh boy. OK, do you want to do that a little differently ..."
Politico reported that some Trump allies felt the incident showed the president's irritation with Mulvaney. Others said it was just him being a germaphobe.
One source maintained Trump doesn't have any specific reason to dislike Mulvaney.
"The president doesn't have any good reason to dislike Mulvaney in terms of him being disloyal," said one Republican close to the White House.
But one official said a deterioration of their relationship is "inevitable since any chief of staff has to deliver good and bad news." The source added Trump does not like hearing the latter.