The reason is obvious. Holding on to the warrant might be bad for the country—leaving us largely in the dark, fighting furiously over hypotheticals—but for now it’s very good for Trump.

To understand why, it’s important to understand how Trumpism thrives. Trumpism as a cultural and political movement depends a great deal on both the extraordinary loyalty of his supporters and the overreaction of his opponents. Each phenomenon feeds on the other.

The loyalty was apparent from the moment Trump confirmed the search. Without knowing anything about the reason for the search, the right exploded with rage. Trump didn’t have to rebut any allegations, excuse any embarrassing revelations, or even do anything more than express outrage at his alleged mistreatment; the right still rallied to his side.

Why release a document that might complicate the matter? As that same source told Hillyard, there is a “complete circling of the wagons” around Trump. He doesn’t need to be transparent to preserve his base.

At the same time, the refusal to release the warrant feeds frenzied speculation on the left. What is he hiding? How bad is it? That speculation, perversely enough, is good for Trump. Right-wing media outlets pick the most improbable allegations and use them to reaffirm the Republican contention that the left is unhinged. And the wilder they perceive the left to be, the more Trump’s supporters on the right see him as the only leader truly prepared to fight the enemies of the republic.