The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg questioned John Kirby on the case of the Afghan war hero who fled to the UK on a small boat and is being threatened with deportation to Rwanda.

Mr Feinberg pressed the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications on an email from the Air Force, which said the “publicity may invite more requests for support”.

Mr Kirby denied there had been a policy change for support to Afghan refugees who had served in the war.

The Independent has campaigned to give refuge to Afghan war heroes who served alongside British forces.