Question: If the trumpstein files are a "Democrat (sic) hoax", wouldn't

[Ocelot II]

4. Trump has tangled himself up in his own excuses.

If he he had been an FBI informant against Epstein, why wouldn't he have said so and even bragged about it? Since Epstein is dead and the case against him permanently shelved, why wouldn't he exalt himself as the guy who helped bring that evildoer to justice? It's quite possible that the FBI might have interviewed him at some point during the Florida investigation that resulted in Acosta's sweetheart plea deal, and maybe he's one of the unnamed people in the non-prosecution agreement that was part of that deal? The FBI often immunizes coconspirators in exchange for cooperation and information. If that's what happened, of course he doesn't want to talk about it, but why would Mike Johnson make that claim when everyone knows the FBI flips coconspirators?

And if the whole thing is just a "Democrat hoax," why doesn't he order the files released so we can see that it's a hoax? If the files name a bunch of Democrats as among Epstein's "clients," that would be an even more compelling reason for him to do it. So why doesn't he do it?

Whatever is in those files must be so bad - probably involving not only sexual acts with minors but participation in Epstein's money laundering and international sex trafficking schemes - that Trump is willing to risk incurring the wrath of MAGA. He probably didn't know what the FBI really had on him until Bondi had the FBI scour the files for his name, or else he had either enough influence to avoid prosecution or a nonprosecution deal in exchange for cooperation - but now he does know and he's willing to move heaven and earth to keep them under wraps.