National security adviser H.R. McMaster spoke with his British counterpart on Thursday about press secretary Sean Spicer's comment from the White House podium about a Fox News report that said British intelligence helped wiretap Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign, a White House official said Friday.
The official described the conversation as "cordial" where McMaster described Spicer's comment as "unintentional."
McMaster also told his counterpart that "their concerns were understood and heard and it would be relayed to the White House."
The official said there were "at least two calls" from British officials on Thursday and that the British ambassador to the United States called Spicer to discuss the comment.
"Sean was pointing to the breadth of reporting, not endorsing any specific story," the official said.
A senior administration official told CNN that Spicer and McMaster offered what amounted to an apology to the British government.
White House officials later told CNN that it was British ambassador to the US Kim Darroch and Sir Mark Lyall Grant, national security adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May, who "expressed their concerns to Sean Spicer and Gen. McMaster" in two separate conversations on Thursday.
"Mr. Spicer and Gen. McMaster explained that Mr. Spicer was simply pointing to public reports, not endorsing any specific story," one official said.
'These claims are ridiculous'
Earlier Friday, a spokesman for May said senior UK officials had protested to the Trump administration after the claims were repeated by Spicer.
"We've made clear to the US administration that these claims are ridiculous and should be ignored. We've received assurances that these allegations won't be repeated," May's spokesman said.
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