Vice President Pence persuaded Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats Daniel (Dan) Ray CoatsFBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Former Intel chief had 'deep suspicions' that Putin 'had something on Trump': book MORE not to resign from his post last year, according to a report from NBC News.

Coats had reportedly grown increasingly frustrated with President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE after the president pressured him to find evidence that former President Obama wiretapped him, told him to question the impartiality of the U.S. intelligence community and accused him of leaking classified information.

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In December, Coats was prepared to quit after Trump announced the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Syria, leading to then-Defense Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE’s abrupt resignation, according to NBC. Pence, a frequent intermediary between Trump and his fellow Indianan, convinced Coats to stay, former and current administration officials told the network.

NBC reported that Coats’s frustration has largely derived from a sense that Trump does not take intelligence advisers seriously on issues including North Korea and Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Pence has also frequently dissuaded Trump from firing Coats, whom the president calls “Mr. Rogers,” according to NBC.

"I am focused on doing my job, and it is frustrating to repeatedly be asked to respond to anonymous sources and unsubstantiated, often false rumors that undercut the critical work of the Intelligence Community and its relationship with the President,” Coats said in a statement to the network.

In February, Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, a Trump confidant, told CNN there was “general disappointment” with Coats in the White House after he testified in January that North Korea was not likely to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Trump denied the same week that he was considering firing Coats, telling reporters he hadn’t “even thought about it.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday from The Hill.