The White House proved the rule yet again on Wednesday, on a shocking day of revelations in Washington over Epstein emails that mentioned Donald Trump multiple times and darkened a broadening shadow over his presidency.

The question at the heart of a political drama that grew out of the profound tragedy of scores of young women trafficked and abused by Epstein is now becoming impossible for the president to suppress.

The Jeffrey Epstein saga has a dastardly quality: The more anyone drawn into the morass tries to dig themselves out, the deeper they dig themselves in.

The White House proved the rule yet again on Wednesday, on a shocking day of revelations in Washington over Epstein emails that mentioned Donald Trump multiple times and darkened a broadening shadow over his presidency.

The question at the heart of a political drama that grew out of the profound tragedy of scores of young women trafficked and abused by Epstein is now becoming impossible for the president to suppress.

Why is he so adamant that Americans must not see files related to a onetime friend he later denounced, even though there’s been no evidence of criminal wrongdoing on his own part?

A dizzying day of political intrigue Wednesday crushed Republican hopes of claiming the end of the longest government shutdown on record as an eye-catching win. It opened when House Oversight Committee Democrats released three emails newly acquired from Epstein’s estate that mention Trump. This was soon followed by a torrent of other emails, some referencing the president, from the GOP-led panel.

It did not immediately appear that the trove of material created any new legal issues for Trump. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said it proved “absolutely nothing, other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.”

But the explosive content — which included Epstein and his now-jailed accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell discussing Trump — was the kind of gossipy jet fuel that can ensure scandals defy all attempts at containment and significantly worsened Trump’s political predicament on the issue. It was also the latest twist in a story with an extraordinary capacity to tarnish reputations, which, unlike its main protagonist, will not die.

Why is he so adamant that Americans must not see files related to a onetime friend he later denounced, even though there’s been no evidence of criminal wrongdoing on his own part?

A dizzying day of political intrigue Wednesday crushed Republican hopes of claiming the end of the longest government shutdown on record as an eye-catching win. It opened when House Oversight Committee Democrats released three emails newly acquired from Epstein’s estate that mention Trump. This was soon followed by a torrent of other emails, some referencing the president, from the GOP-led panel.

It did not immediately appear that the trove of material created any new legal issues for Trump. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said it proved “absolutely nothing, other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.”

But the explosive content — which included Epstein and his now-jailed accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell discussing Trump — was the kind of gossipy jet fuel that can ensure scandals defy all attempts at containment and significantly worsened Trump’s political predicament on the issue. It was also the latest twist in a story with an extraordinary capacity to tarnish reputations, which, unlike its main protagonist, will not die.