I think he was a plant but he was a plant who ended up taking a beating.
a plant that got soaked? pruned? cut down?
Well, we may disagree on the ‘plant’ business, but on the second part of your comment, I think we agree.
And, at the risk of getting flamed here, why should we care if he was a plant or not? The issue was raised and it was deftly answered. Because of how it was answered, we win.