He was strategically defusing her argument in an effort to make her retort look mean.
It may or may not have worked on a conscious level, but you can bet that it sank into the subconscious minds of the viewers.
As a transaction, he was basically saying "I'm sorry--or I was wrong" (however much insincere) knowing full-well that she was about to give him hell...and in doing so damage her own image.
This is what he does and there is no better.
Carly looked like a petty woman, who was NOT capable of being CIC
I give Trump an A+ on this move.
I saw it the same way. Carly had a planned out response to Trump. He trumped her.
I laughed when he wheeled around and looked at her and said that.
She got all red and was fuming because she was no longer able to use her rehearsed response.