Traditionally, if you didn’t want to admit something, but denying it brought a risk of perjury – the solution was to claim you couldn’t remember….
At the moment a number of Trump’s senior staff are in an extremely difficult position – they are being asked to do things that are illegal.
When cross examined by Congress, they can’t admit the truth, but daren’t deny it.
For example Patel was asked if any FBI staff had been dismissed because of involvement in Jan 6 or impeachment investigations.
He made a bad mistake by saying ‘not for that reason alone’ which obviously implies it was part of the reason (and probably illegal).
He was then repeatedly asked if he had dismissed them partly for that reason. He couldn’t be honest, and say yes, nor commit perjury.
So he went for the oblique, depersonalised, response. Phrases like ‘the FBI follows all proper procedures’, and so on. And then going off on a diversionery rant, about Biden’s FBI or whatever.
If something wasn’t the case he could just have said so.
So by so desperately trying to avoid answering the question directly, he was actually in effect admitting it…….
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