Donald Trump just can't help himself. He has to tweet. But then his tweets get him in trouble — like Richard Nixon-level trouble.

Trump started Friday off with a tweetstorm that included this threat-like tweet directed at fired FBI director James Comey. That opened a whole new can of worms, specifically whether Trump secretly records things in the White House.

James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017

This of course was brought up at Friday's press briefing, which saw the return of Sean Spicer, after he took a few days off from hiding "among" the bushes. Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason asked first about the president recording the Comey conversation, but followed up with the logical query, "Are there recording devices in the Oval Office or in the residence?"

Spicer responded: "The president has nothing further to add on that."

"Did Pres. Trump record his conversations with former FBI Director Comey?"

Spicer: "...the president has nothing further to add on that." pic.twitter.com/uJgzoNGCV7 — CBS News (@CBSNews) May 12, 2017

It was the denial heard round the Twitterverse, which was reminded yet again of a certain previous president who got mixed up in secret recordings back in the 1970s. Nixon wasn't the first president to record conversations in the White House, but the tapes were integral to his impeachment in the wake of Watergate.

If there is a secret WH recording system it would be Trump reviving a 6-president-long program that ended w Nixon https://t.co/L6SztSKOim pic.twitter.com/NEvqqTSaG7 — Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) May 12, 2017

Others ran with the dark humor and scary similarities to history based on the newly-feasible possibility of secret recordings from Trump's White House.

Fired top investigator? (check); quickly inoperative White House press statements? (check); possible secret tapes (check). Man oh man. — Ben White (@morningmoneyben) May 12, 2017

Declassified photo of Trump’s secret recording device. pic.twitter.com/XqdnB7BQCz — Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) May 12, 2017

If Trump really installed recording devices in the WH like Nixon did... There's no way they could be that dumb.



And thus, it must be true. — Jiu-Jitsu Jerry (@BostonJerry) May 12, 2017

Recording devices. Trump basically saying "I'm going to do everything Nixon did, but the difference is, I'll get away with it" — Tom W Huxley (@tomwhx) May 12, 2017

Trump: "How dare you compare me to Nixon also I'm secretly recording the fuck out of this conversation." — Deren Ney (@DerenNey) May 12, 2017

Of course there are recording devices in the Oval Office. They were installed by Russian State media earlier this week. — Conor Yunits (@conoryunits) May 12, 2017

Trump is the new Nixon, even recording everything in the White House including his own downfall possibly. Blame Obama lmao #FlashbackFriday — Saylor Twift (@2SonsOfBeatrice) May 12, 2017

Even WikiLeaks wants in on the secret "tapes," which gives us a weird look at how the Nixon scandal may have played out had it happened in the age of social media and the internet.

WikiLeaks offers US$100k for the Trump-Comey tapes.



You can increase the reward via most methods at https://t.co/lmsmphuH2N (tell us) pic.twitter.com/B1URWyEXZk — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 12, 2017

Trump's initial tweet about the Comey "tapes" was just missing the #FlashbackFriday hashtag to give it that Nixonian flavor.