It's called The Law of Merited Impossibility. It's a popular tactic for authoritarians in the last 30 years or so. Deny something is happening, and anyone who c

It's called The Law of Merited Impossibility. It's a popular tactic for authoritarians in the last 30 years or so. Deny something is happening, and anyone who claims it is is paranoid. Then quickly do the thing, and smear anyone who says it's a bad thing. The point is to avoid ever actually debating the ideas they're pushing by denying it.