Spare us the reality-show theatrics. Answer the question, Mr. Trump

President Donald Trump is an expert in many aspects of business: real estate, construction, golf-course management, licensing and reality shows.

He has yet to show us he has the slightest clue about leading the greatest country in the world.

This point was hammered home again Friday at Trump’s news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House.

Asked by Washington Times reporter Dave Boyer if there were tape recordings of his disputed conversations with former FBI director James Comey, the president said: “'Well, I’ll tell you about that sometime maybe in the very near future.”

Why keep us in suspense, Mr. President?

The tapes either exist or they don’t. And if there are tapes, Trump should allow Americans to hear for themselves whether he asked Comey to let go of the FBI’s investigation into Michael Flynn, the president’s former national security adviser.

It really is that simple.

Less than two hours after Trump’s deflection of Boyer’s direct question, bipartisan leaders of the House Intelligence Committee requested that the White House produce any tapes that might exist of Trump's conversations with Comey, whom the president fired May 9.

We are not surprised that Trump didn’t end speculation about the tapes – which Trump himself launched with a tweet. Leading a nation is difficult. Conjuring up reality-show dramatics – cliff-hangers, if you will – is kid’s stuff and Trump’s modus operandi virtually his entire adult life.

After he defeated Hillary Clinton to become president, our hope was that he would mature into the competent leader our country needs and deserves. That growth has yet to occur, and it is preventing the Trump administration and Congress from moving forward on important issues affecting our security (at home and abroad), the economy and our quality of life.

The president tweets, rants and threatens to sue. He makes promises that are rarely fulfilled. These tactics contribute to the daily political soap opera, but they do nothing to make America better.

In the important matter of Trump vs. Comey, all we have now is he-said, he-said allegations – and Trump’s documented history of distorting and bending the facts to fit his purpose.

If there are tapes, we need to hear them. First, we need to know if they even exist.

This isn’t “The Celebrity Apprentice” with television ratings at stake. This is about whether Americans can trust their president to tell the truth.

President Trump should end the suspense, and answer the question: Are their tapes of his Feb. 14 conversation with Comey at the White House?

A simple yes or no will suffice.

This story was originally published June 9, 2017 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Spare us the reality-show theatrics. Answer the question, Mr. Trump."