--- title: Donald Trump, Republican Party Chair Reince Priebus Talk Immigration description: The head of the Republican National Committee called presidential candidate Donald Trump Wednesday canonical: https://time.com/3951698/donald-trump-reince-priebus-immigration/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-09T17:56:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:43:37.847Z article:section: Politics og:title: GOP Chief Phones Donald Trump Amid Immigration Uproar og:description: But Trump says it was just a friendly call og:url: https://time.com/3951698/donald-trump-reince-priebus-immigration/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bdc989c5633f6da/698859e1cd1bbadab76fc285/trump-401k-plan-big-catch-year.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: trump-401k-plan-big-catch-year og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: GOP Chief Phones Donald Trump Amid Immigration Uproar twitter:description: But Trump says it was just a friendly call twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bdc989c5633f6da/698859e1cd1bbadab76fc285/trump-401k-plan-big-catch-year.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # GOP Chief Phones Donald Trump Amid Immigration Uproar > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jul 9, 2015 5:56 PM UTC  Presidential candidate and businessman Donald Trump Presidential candidate and businessman Donald Trump Chicago Tribune—TNS via Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jul 9, 2015 5:56 PM UTC The head of the Republican National Committee [called presidential candidate Donald Trump ](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-could-damage-the-republican-image-party-leaders-worry/2015/07/08/2ec75b4c-25ab-11e5-b72c-2b7d516e1e0e%5Fstory.html)Wednesday, amid growing alarm from GOP insiders that the real estate mogul’s incendiary rhetoric on immigration could hurt the party. Priebus spent almost an hour on the phone with Trump and told him to tone down [comments on immigration](http://time.com/3946013/donald-trump-immigration-business/) that have led many business partners to drop him, according to the Washington _Post_, which first reported on the call. “Chairman Priebus often speaks privately with candidates seeking our party’s nomination,” Sean Spicer, of the Republican National Committee, told the _Post._ “He did have a very respectful conversation with Mr. Trump on Wednesday. They discussed multiple comments, including comments on illegal immigration.” But Trump, who has worn Republican elites’ disdain of him as a badge of honor, disputed reports that Priebus told him to tone things down. “Totally false reporting on my call with \[Reince Priebus\],” Trump wrote on Twitter. “He called me, ten minutes, said I hit a ‘nerve,’ doing well, end!” Trump’s comments during his campaign launch speech, in which he described Mexican immigrants as “rapists,” have caused numerous [business partners to drop him](http://time.com/3947126/donald-trump-immigration-defiant/) in recent days, while forcing Republican presidential contenders to respond. Trump has stood by the comments. ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. 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