Not cunning; it's a low effort hand wave. The rest is true.

EForEndeavour · on April 2, 2020

If a team of career PR folks meticulously iterating on the precise wording of this message to frame the narrative in their favour doesn't count as "cunning" to you, I don't know what would.

NateEag · on April 2, 2020

I believe "cunning" is not about intent, but the action's effectiveness.

As an attempt to mislead or imply that there are no problems here, this is pretty much a failure, and thus not at all cunning.

EForEndeavour · on April 2, 2020

That feels backwards. One can certainly intend to be cunning!

NateEag · on April 2, 2020

If you can intend and fail to be cunning, then the word's meaning must not be defined by the subject's intent.