The trouble with all this fuss, is that “lie detector” polygraphs yield unreliable results. They are easy to fake as well.
Polygraphs do not detect lies. They detect physiological stress, and are based on the premise that lying triggers those stress responses. They are useless if:
- the subject believes what he's saying, either because he's delusional or because he's managed to convince himself that the lie is true;
- the subject is not stressed by lying; or
- the subject has learned to control or mask those physiological responses.
There's a reason polygraphs have never been admissible in court. They might help as an investigative lead, but they don't prove anything. This is a publicity stunt, and no matter the outcome of the test, we still have a conveniently-timed story by one person with no corroboration.