President Trump denied Sunday that he was considering firing Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar following reports that White House aides were discussing the idea.

In a tweet, the president blasted the reporting as "fake news" and accused the media of trying to create the impression of discord within his administration.

"More Reports that H.H.S. Secretary @AlexAzar is going to be 'fired' by me are Fake News. The Lamestream Media knows this, but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public. They never even called to ask. Alex is doing an excellent job!" he wrote.

Trump's denial came after a similar comment from White House spokesman Judd Deere in response to The Wall Street Journal's story on Saturday in which he blamed the news media for distracting from the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Department of Health and Human Services, under the leadership of Secretary Azar, continues to lead on a number of the President’s priorities,” Deere said. “Any speculation about personnel is irresponsible and a distraction from our whole-of-government response to COVID-19.” 

A spokesperson for HHS also dismissed the story, telling the Journal, "Secretary Azar is busy responding to a global, public health crisis and doesn’t have time for palace intrigue."

The Journal, citing six administration sources, reported Saturday that the White House was displeased with Azar's handling of the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

Trump himself has tweeted that Azar "told me nothing until later" about the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. after The New York Times reported that Azar had warned Trump of the possibility weeks before the president implemented a ban on travel from China, where the virus originated.