It’s so simple it’s complicated!
The utter refusal of Leaders to admit the obvious also simply means they are not going to, have no intentions of stopping, and will continue to demonize, (on a vast scale) the voices of opposition.
They expected the backlash but ‘believe’ they are capable of containing and controlling it....And frankly thus far they are doing just that regardless of the fallout from, which of course is not their concern.