The administration went silent on the Epstein files because they and their friends are in it a bunch. Just as much as their enemies.

Trump's first administration and Biden's administration both sat on the files. Trump's second administration campaigned on releasing them, then tried to conceal them until Massie and others legally forced the issue.

They hope just lying about it and ignoring it enough will make it go away. That strategy worked for them for other issues in the past. But this time they've fractured part of their base away, like MJT.

It's swamp all the way down.