• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, May 22, 2017

One thing our new President has always valued is performance -- specifically on TV.  Well, a big reality TV performer knows talent -- or the lack of it -- when he sees it.

Why did Donald Trump fire FBI director James Comey? Was it that he mishandled Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s email situation? Worried of Russian collusion? Maybe some recent TV appearance stuff had something to do it with.

Trump on Comey last week: “He had the very poor performance on Wednesday. That was a poor, poor performance. So poor in fact that I believe  -- and you have to ask him because I don’t like to speak for other people -- but I believe that’s why the Deputy Attorney General went out and wrote its very very strong letter.”

So he was sunk by performance on TV, over actual work?  

We will reserve judgement; TV producers might need to weigh in on this audition. Earlier in the day, Donald Trump told us about “witches” and “hunts.” Now that’s performance level stuff! Draw your own imagery.

Is there too much TV focus on Trump? He’s on TV; he watches a lot of TV -- especially the news, as well as reading The New York Times and The Washington Post. And then, of course, there is the other performance value media: Those tweets! Unfair! Sad!

Additionally, one report last week had Trump making reference -- in talking to Comey -- about putting reporters in “jail.” Well, that’s just speculation. Then again... I’ll just focus on his actual public words: The news media are the “enemy of the American people.”

Trump is also a keen viewer of Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s TV press conferences, which could be jeopardy going forward, according to reports. Getting rid of that TV content sting for those cable TV news networks Trump finds so irresistible. Not sure it would actually hurt TV news network viewership.

During the campaign last year, Trump could be found talking casually during a Facebook Live digital video thing about some of his associates becoming big TV stars -- like Trump campaign advisor Boris Epshteyn. That is seemingly important to him.

But nothing is forever. In a recent related story, Trump, according to reports, is now focused on possibly changing those who represent him to the press and public. 

Like any off-air, behind-the-scenes TV producer of a new TV show, cast changes can be in flux.