Now that the actual number appears to be lower, that doesn't make this any less of a tragedy or any less of a horrendous failing of our government. Now it's a tragic revision. So it's not as bad as we thought, so it's OK? Of course it's not.
The audience isn't an idiot. The audience can figure out that the mayor didn't have an actual count. They reported what officials said, with no basis in fact to question that in any way. Are they not supposed to report it?