The Australian-US asylum-seeker swap deal remains alive but each of the refugees on Manus Island and Nauru will have to undergo extreme vetting before entering America, White House spokesman Sean Spicer has confirmed.
Mr Spicer told reporters on Thursday US President Donald Trump was "unbelievably disappointed" about the "horrible deal" agreed to between Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former US president Barack Obama last year.
Mr Spicer, however, gave a different assessment of Saturday's phone call between Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull that was described in media reports as volatile, telling reporters it was "cordial" and the president has tremendous respect for the prime minister and the Australian people.
Senior Republican figures have gone into damage control mode despite US President Donald Trump using a new speech to defend his tough talk with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan and former US presidential candidates John McCain and Lindsey Graham said on Thursday the US-Australian relationship remained strong.
"Australia is a very central ally," Mr Ryan told reporters.
"They are and will continue to be.
"I think it is important presidents, prime ministers and heads of state are able to have candid and private conversations with each other."
Senator Graham took aim at Mr Trump's use of Twitter, including a tweet on Wednesday describing the asylum-seeker deal between Australia and the US as "dumb".
"I wish he would sleep more and tweet less, but that's up to him," Senator Graham told CNN.
The president's comments and treatment of Mr Turnbull in the call sent tremors through Canberra and Washington DC and raised the prospect of the strong alliance wilting.
Senator McCain said he called Australian ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, to "express my unwavering support" for the US-Australian relationship.
Senator McCain, a Vietnam War hero, described the heated call where Mr Trump reportedly berated Mr Turnbull and abruptly ended after just 25 minutes as "unneccessary and frankly harmful".
Senator McCain pointed to the importance of having US marines based in the Northern Territory and the close intelligence relationship the nations share.
"Australia, they fought alongside us in wars including losing over 500 brave Australians in the Vietnam War, which some of us remember," Senator McCain told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Senator Graham, who was a judge advocate in the US Air Force and worked alongside the Australian military in Iraq and Afghanistan and whose father was stationed in Australia in World War II, said the alliance would survive.
He also showed support for the asylum-seeker deal.
"The relationship is strong and can withstand a phone call," Senator Graham said.
"We'll be fine with Australia.
"The 1250 refugees we are talking about, if they are well vetted, we can absorb them."
In a speech on Thursday at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC Mr Trump refused to back down on his treatment of Mr Turnbull.
"When you hear about the tough phone calls I'm having, don't worry about it," Mr Trump told an audience of political and religious leaders.
"... We have to be tough.
"It's time we have to be a little tough folks.
"We are taken advantage of by every nation in the world virtually."
