Some of the biggest "Epstein files" fire-breathers from recent years were silent Wednesday after Democrats released a trove of new emails that included mentions of President Trump.

Why it matters: What started as a conspiracy-laden search for answers against the deep state has turned (for some) into a defensive posture to protect Trump from two of the right's biggest bogeymen — Democrats, and the media.

What they're saying: Mentions of Epstein were sparse across MAGA social media accounts and podcasts in the hours after the email dump. • Elon Musk, the billionaire X owner and on-again, off-again Trump ally, posted nothing Wednesday morning after lamenting in July over a supposed lack of transparency by the administration over the investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein. • Steve B

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