Donald Trump’s foreign policy team has become a “snake pit” rife with infighting, a new report has claimed.

Mr Trump argues regularly with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and national security adviser HR McMaster – and the two advisers clash with each other, too, a senior Republican said.

“There are personality tensions between the president and Tillerson, between the President and McMaster, between McMaster and Tillerson,” the Republican, who is in close contact with the President's foreign policy team, told Politico.

“It’s broken and it’s going to have to be fixed one way or another," the person added. "It can’t go on like this.”

Another source, an outside adviser to the team, described Mr Tillerson and Mr McMaster as “in a death struggle,” with “each of them trying to get rid of the other.”

Mr Trump’s disagreements with his Secretary of State are well documented – from the time the President told Mr Tillerson not to bother with diplomacy in North Korea, to the now-infamous moment the Secretary reportedly called his boss a “moron”. (State Department employees denied this occurred.) Rumours have swirled since this summer that Mr Tillerson was looking to quit.

Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Show all 22 1 /22 Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of Difa-e-Pakistan Council a coalition of right wing Islamic parties, burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump, during a protest in Quetta, Pakistan EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli police scuffle with a Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu following Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces disperse Palestinian protesters outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on 7 December 2017 AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organization, chant slogans as they burn Israeli and US flags during a protest against Donald Trump in Peshawar REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinians paint an 'X' over the face of a picture of US president Donald J. Trump which was painted on the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors burn the Israeli flag and a poster of US President Donald Trump in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party rally against Donald Trump in Lahore AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is burnt during a protest against Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces detain a Palestinian protester during clashes that followed protests against US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters shout slogans against Donald Trump EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A Palestinian protester wears a Guy Fawkes mask used by the anonymous movement during clashes with Israeli troops in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops during protests AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party chant anti-American slogans during a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistanis burn a representation of the U.S. flag during a protest rally in Hyderabad AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Young Palestinian women look on as smoke billows from burning tyres as fellow Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops AFP/Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protesters burn a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump at a protest in Islamabad REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protestors shouts slogans against US President Donald Trump as they hold Palestinian and Turkish flags during a protest near the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors put their feet over a picture of US president Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank City of Nablus EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistani protesters burn tires at an anti-Donald Trump rally in Multan AP

Mr Trump has also reportedly clashed with Mr McMaster, who, according to a BuzzFeed News report, called the President a "dope" and an "idiot" with the mind of a "kindergartner”. Bloomberg reported in August that the President was furious with Mr McMaster for contradicting him in conversations with South Korean leaders. Mr Trump denied this at the time, claiming he “couldn't be happier with HR”.

As these battles between Mr Trump and his advisers played out in the media, Mr Tillerson and Mr McMaster have appeared to be allied. Both men reportedly urged Mr Trump to certify Iran’s compliance with a historic nuclear deal, and to rethink his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Both were reportedly shocked when Mr Trump failed to pledge his commitment to Article 5 in his NATO address.

Rex Tillerson evades answering whether he called Trump a moron

But according to the latest report, the Secretary of State and national security adviser began feuding this summer, when Mr McMaster grew frustrated with what he saw as Mr Tillerson’s overstepping of boundaries.

Discord within the foreign policy team is especially significant now, as the Trump administration faces increasing challenges abroad. On top of the Jerusalem decision – which set off days of violent protests and a UN vote condemning the move – Mr Trump has also waded into conflicts in both Iran and Pakistan.

In his first tweet of the New Year, the President accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists. In the next, he praised anti-government protesters in Iran, writing: “The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!”