But the other side was quite sly.
First, they hinted to the Freemasonry Group and everyone else that this operation was not initiated by the White House but advocated by the Internal Revenue Service, thereby shifting the blame onto the IRS.
Secondly, it was also an indirect way of complaining to the Freemasonry Group: "I need to push for legislation to increase support rates and prepare for the upcoming election; I publicly endorsed this reluctantly."
And finally, what did the so-called "We support it as long as it doesn't hurt the fundamentals" mean?
It was nothing but a reassurance to the Freemasonry: don't worry, if the IRS really goes too far, we won't necessarily support them to the end!
However, having said that, although the White House was being a bit cunning, they did come out and express their support for the tax audit operation, which was enough for David!