Secret Service reportedly has no tapes of President Trump's conversation with former FBI Director James Comey

The question about whether President Trump does or does not have 'tapes' of his private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey lingers.

In an effort to get answers, the Wall Street Journal submitted a freedom of information request for copies or transcripts of Trump-era White House recordings and was told by the U.S. Secret Service that neither exists.

The publication notes that the response "doesn't exclude the possibility that recordings could have been created by another entity."

RELATED: James Comey testifies on Russian interference in US election

As of Monday afternoon, the White House was maintaining its non-committal stance on the topic.

At a press briefing on Monday, press secretary Sean Spicer was asked about the matter and responded, "The president made clear in the Rose Garden last week that he would have an announcement shortly."

When pressed for a more definitive timeline, Spicer said the statement would be released, "When the president's ready to make it."

President Trump's Rose Garden comment on the tapes was made Friday when he was asked, "do tapes exist of your conversations with him?"

RELATED: U.S. Secret Service through the years

"Well, I'll tell you about that maybe sometime in the very near future," Trump replied.

It was Trump who first alluded to the tapes' existence, notes CNN.

Just days after firing Comey, the president tweeted, "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"