Judging but how much he's REALLY downplaying it I would not be surprised.

No one downplays something unless there's some guilt of association from what I've always seen. Look at how the alt-left will downplay Houthis raiding commerce ships or how alt-right will downplay idealizing Nazi Germany when either side talks to "normies."

Not saying I agree or disagree with either, it's just a pattern we all recognize.

You don't say shit like that unless you're defending it. "I mean yeah, it's just edgy posting and it's not like I posted it" doesn't read any different to me than "Pedophilia isn't THAT big a deal"