Bowing to pressure from nervous Republican leaders, Reince Priebus, the head of the Republican National Committee, made a phone call to divisive GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump, encouraging the real estate magnate to ease up on the incendiary talk.

As reported by the Washington Post, GOP donors and consultants have relayed that the Wednesday conversation focused on how the political party’s view of Trump has gone from one of mere embarrassment to one of serious alarm.

Trump, who famously referred to Mexican immigrants as criminals, rapists and killers, has remained unapologetic about his words, even going so far as to boast that, if he gets the GOP nomination, he will go on to win the Latino vote.

Former Republican Utah Senator Robert Bennett feels that it is just a matter of time before Trump implodes, stating, “I think he’ll self-destruct relatively quickly. The dynamic, I think, will change very dramatically, and Trump will be yesterday’s news.”

Bennett added a somber note of dread, saying that “if Trump can keep this going, it will be very worrisome."

For his part, Trump has already said that his phone call with Reince Priebus was, rather than castigating, congratulatory. As Trump recalls the conversation, Priebus said, “Well, you really have hit a nerve, keep going,” and “If you could tone it down – I know that’s tough – but if you could tone it down, that wouldn’t be bad.”

“The call lasted for 10 minutes – maximum, maximum 15 minutes,” Trump said, as reported in the New York Times, seizing the opportunity to take a jab at the 43-year-old chairman of the Republican National Committee who he says “knows better than to lecture me.”

“We’re not dealing with a five-star Army general,” Trump said.