Can we get away from splitting hairs here? Would we rather he have said: "Make no mistake, this is as much a PR cunning plan or action designed to turn a situ

Can we get away from splitting hairs here? Would we rather he have said: "Make no mistake, this is as much a PR cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's advantage by Tesla to pump up their offering." ? A synonym may be trick. But the definition you cited fits what was happening perfectly without intending the synonym. Synonyms aren't always interchangeable due to nuances in meaning differences.