Washington (CNN) White House press secretary Sarah Sanders privately berated the White House communications and press staff Friday after a leak the previous day of comments by aide Kelly Sadler about Sen. John McCain, according to several sources familiar with the meeting.

In discussing McCain's opposition to CIA nominee Gina Haspel, Sadler, a special assistant who handles surrogate communications for the White House, said in a private meeting Thursday that it doesn't matter "because he's dying anyway." It was a joke that fell flat, a White House official told CNN.

Despite publicly refusing to criticize the remark, Sanders told the press staff that Sadler's comment was inappropriate, according to several sources familiar with the meeting.

During the dressing down, Sanders focused more on how the remark was leaked apparently in an attempt to target Sadler with a damaging story, one of the sources told CNN.

White House strategic communications director Mercedes Schlapp spoke up during the session to defend Sadler, one of the sources said.

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