Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told reporters on Tuesday that she did not threaten to resign after President Donald Trump reportedly scolded her in front of stafers last week about an increase in illegal immigration.
“I have not resigned,” she said in response to reporters’ questions as she left a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday, according to Politico. “I didn’t threaten to resign.”
The Department of Homeland Security has previously denied that Nielsen mulled resigning, despite reports from several news outlets. In her initial statements to the media, Nielsen wouldn’t confirm or deny that she had considered leaving the administration.
The New York Times was first to report last week that Nielsen was “close” to resigning after Trump yelled at her in front of colleagues about his stance that undocumented immigrant children should be separated from their parents when they cross into the U.S. illegally.
According to the Times, Nielsen “told associates after the meeting that she should not continue in the job if the President did not view her as effective.”
