feigning

"Ultimately, members of my own unit in leadership deemed that I was an extremist or a white nationalist because of a tattoo I have, which is a religious tattoo. It's a Jerusalem cross," Hegseth claimed, feigning ignorance of the fact that cross has indeed been embraced by far-right activists who imagine themselves fighting a modern-day Crusade.

Feigning exasperation, he said he had to explain to his wife that he had been joking — that he was imitating Biden but that “the fake news” was distorting his sarcasm.

Right-wing commentators spent an entire day feigning outrage that ABC’s debate moderators dared to challenge at least a few of the ex-president’s blatantly false assertions.

Whether in denial of just feigning it, the impact of such entreaties is likely to be the same.

In his hourlong address to Congress last week, he repeated his cry for “total victory” without so much as mentioning the talks—making very clear that he has no interest in even feigning a desire for a diplomatic breakthrough.