Democratic strategist David Axelrod says that President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE should be "looking in the mirror" to tackle any communication issues.

“The problem is not with the spokespeople,” Axelrod told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin on Friday. "They’re in a constant game of twister trying to contort themselves to explain the latest tweet or comment."

"So if Donald Trump has communication issues he should start by looking in the mirror," the former senior adviser to President Obama said.

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Axelrod added that Trump put White House press secretary Sean Spicer in a “very difficult spot” regarding the ouster of former FBI Director James Comey.

“Obviously it was a threat,” Axelrod said of Trump’s tweet earlier Friday about having "tapes" of his conversations with Comey.

“The interesting thing was [Spicer] trying to persuade people it wasn’t a threat.”

Spicer on Friday refused to say whether Trump recorded his conversations with Comey, saying "the tweet speaks for itself."

“I’ve talked to the president,” he said. “The president has nothing further to say about that.”

Trump earlier Friday sent a cryptic tweet at Comey warning about "leaking to the press." Anonymous associates of Comey have pushed back on Trump's characterization of his talks with Comey in a number of media reports this week.

“James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” Trump wrote.

Trump fired Comey Tuesday, prompting a storm of speculation over the timing of the dismissal.

The White House has since struggled to justify Comey’s ouster, with Trump on Thursday undercutting the White House's explanation that he fired Comey because of a recommendation from top Justice Department officials. Trump said he would have fired Comey regardless.

Comey’s ouster comes as the FBI probes Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential race, including possible ties between Moscow and members of Trump’s campaign.