David Axelrod on Wednesday suggested that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhat Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE stop using a line about rival Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 Biden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security MORE feeding young supporters "a list of misrepresentations."

"Line @HillaryClinton should drop: '...I feel sorry for the young people who are fed this list of misrepresentations.' It's patronizing," tweeted Axelrod, the former senior adviser to President Obama who served as his strategist on both White House campaigns.

Line @HillaryClinton should drop: "...I feel sorry for the young people who are fed this list of misrepresentations." It's patronizing. — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) April 6, 2016

"I would stay away from the insinuation that these young people who are inspired by Bernie Sanders are dupes and that somehow they are being fed misinformation and that's why they are enthusiastic about Bernie Sanders,” Axelrod later said during an appearance on CNN's "New Day."

Clinton used the line during a podcast interview published early Wednesday morning in which she questioned whether Sanders was actually a Democrat. Over the weekend, she also said she felt " sorry " for young people "who believe" Sanders's claims about donations to her campaign.

"I think it's exciting to be, in effect, protesting," Clinton said later during a television appearance Wednesday morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "I remember, I did that a long time ago when I was in my 20s, and I totally get the attraction of this," Clinton said, adding of Sanders, "a lot of the young people like both of us." She acknowledged, however, "they really like me" and "they really, really like him."

"It is important to bring them into the process, and I give him a lot of credit for doing that," Clinton said, before suggesting voters should focus on electing an experienced commander in chief.