Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby Richard Craig ShelbySenate GOP eyes early exit Dems discussing government funding bill into February GOP short of votes on Trump's controversial Fed pick MORE (R-Ala.) once called acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyMick Mulvaney to start hedge fund Fauci says positive White House task force reports don't always match what he hears on the ground Bottom line MORE "the most dangerous man" in Washington because of his influence over 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.

The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the exchange, reported on Tuesday that Shelby made the remark while speaking with Sen. Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph LeahyBattle over timing complicates Democratic shutdown strategy Hillicon Valley: Russia 'amplifying' concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election Top Democrats press Trump to sanction Russian individuals over 2020 election interference efforts MORE (D-Vt.) during the government shutdown.

ADVERTISEMENT

Shelby had reportedly grown frustrated with Mulvaney's ability to undo weeks of bipartisan negotiations by making a brief comment to Trump. Shelby has not repeated the statement about Mulvaney in public.

But the Times noted that when a reporter asked Shelby about Mulvaney on Capitol Hill, the senator interrupted to say, “You mean the acting chief of staff?”

Shelby's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The details about Shelby's comment comes as part of an expansive report on how the dynamic in the White House appears to have changed since Mulvaney became acting chief of staff.

Mulvaney assumed the position earlier this year after former White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE departed.

The Times notes that Mulvaney has gained a number of supporters and critics in his first months in the position, with some viewing him as a figure who has mitigated rivalries within the White House.

Others believe the former GOP congressman has influenced the president in negative ways.

“I hope that the president or some of the people around him will realize that his administration is far from a fine-tuned machine,” Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSenate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' Jacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee MORE (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor, according to The Times. “It’s a slow-motion disaster machine that the American people see in action every day.”