complete trust in
I have full confidence in Mr. Mitchell...All the President's Men · 1976 — 第 14 / 18 章 · 3'37" · C1
The Non-Denial Denial, Explained：non-denial denials
Agnew's defense of Mitchell is all reassurance and no denial. One reporter puts it bluntly: "They doubt our ancestry, but they don't say the story isn't accurate" — a non-denial denial that attacks the messenger while quietly dodging the facts.
あらすじ
Woodward and Bernstein watch Agnew defend Mitchell on the evening news, then Woodward meets an FBI contact who admits the bureau has been following orders. Bernstein rushes in with a tip about Donald Segretti, a lawyer tied to a sabotage campaign against Democratic candidates. For the first time, the Watergate break-in starts to look like part of something bigger.
注目の表現
non-denial denialscircling the wagonsgoddamn liarsout of the blue
00:00 / 03:37Space 再生 · ← → セリフ移動 · R リピート
いま
このシーンの表現
non-denial denials
denials that deny nothing
Watching the televised responses, the reporter labels them all non-denial denials, with a smirk.
The press called them non-denial denials and moved on.
このシーンの他の表現
- circling the wagons
close ranks and defend together
- goddamn liars
damned liars
- out of the blue
suddenly and unexpectedly
- follow through
carry it to the end
- bear in mind
keep in mind
このシーンのメモ一覧
69 行のセリフに 32 件のメモ
at a moment like this
...at a time like this is counterproductive.keep in mind
Agnew tells the audience to bear something in mind, using it to steer opinion.
We must bear in mind that those who published it...Keep 'in' weak and stress 'bear' and 'mind'.
We must bear in mind that those who published it...the opposing party literally the other ticket; here the rival party
...have already shown their sympathy for the other ticket.denials that deny nothing
Watching the televised responses, the reporter labels them all non-denial denials, with a smirk.
A band and some young cheerleaders... - All non-denial denials.work out, understand
What I can't figure out is, what is a real denial?subject clause: The whole what-clause is the subject; the second part is the predicate.
What I can't figure out is, what is a real denial?conditional clause: The if-clause sets the trigger; the main clause states the reaction.
Well, if they start calling us goddamn liars, we better start circling the wagons.goes on sale
This morning, soon as our Mitchell story hits the stands...immediately
...you call and say you gotta see me right away. Why?The t in 'right away' flaps, so the words run together.
...you call and say you gotta see me right away. Why?turn up, appear
Our reports are showing up in your paper almost verbatim.accurate, right on target
I mean, you've really been on the mark, except for Mitchell.working flat out
Our agents have been busting ass...working flat out — Coarse slang; not for formal settings.
Our agents have been busting ass...going to (casual) — Very casual; avoid it in writing.
...but we're gonna go back and see if we missed anything.non-defining relative clause: The where-clause adds a comment on the homes; it is not essential to the question.
...instead of at their homes, where they might feel freer to talk?with someone present
...within the presence of the lawyer who works for CREEP?speak or take responsibility for
Look, you know, I can't answer for the whole bureau.obey instructions
I followed my orders, period.suddenly and unexpectedly
Carl repeats the phrase to stress how unexpected the tip was, sounding excited.
Out of the blue. Out of the blue.Link 'out of' into /aʊdəv/ and keep 'the' weak.
Out of the blue. Out of the blue.become part of a group
...to join a group of other lawyers...turn left or right
- Make a left. We'll go to my place. - Sabotage Democratic candidates?examine one by one
- We gotta go through the records. - Does the FBI know about Segretti?have got to (casual) — A spoken contraction; keep it out of formal text.
- We gotta go through the records. - Does the FBI know about Segretti?carry it to the end
The reporter says the FBI questioned Segretti but never followed through, blaming them for quitting early.
They dropped it, didn't follow through.jeez, wow (exclamation) — A religious exclamation; not for formal talk.
Jesus, look at this. CARL: What?about twelve times
Segretti crisscrossed the country at least a dozen times.travel back and forth nationwide
Segretti crisscrossed the country at least a dozen times.adds up; is understandable
Once Carl lays out the sabotage lead, he says the break-in finally makes sense.
For the first time, the break-in makes sense.「The Non-Denial Denial」を読み解く
What's really going on
The scene's real subject is how power avoids saying anything. Agnew's speech is engineered so that no sentence can be quoted as a denial; one line names the trick — "They doubt our ancestry, but they don't say the story isn't accurate." That is the non-denial denial: discredit the messenger, leave the facts untouched. The reporters' joke about "circling the wagons" is half-dark humor, half a recognition that the White House will soon stop being polite. Woodward's FBI contact then shows the other half of the problem: an institution where people simply "do what I'm told," even when the orders are the story.
Theme
DeceptionAgnew's wording is engineered to sound like a denial without ever denying the story — spin built to leave the facts untouched.
PowerThe FBI contact hides behind "I do what I'm told," showing how institutions shield the people giving the orders.
このチャプターで学べること
- 'Non-denial denial' names a reply that denies nothing.
- 'Circling the wagons' means closing ranks under attack.
- 'Follow through' means carrying a plan to the end.
- 'Out of the blue' marks a sudden, unannounced event.
- 'Bear in mind' is a formal way to say keep in mind.
発音のポイント
- bear in mind — Keep 'in' weak and stress 'bear' and 'mind'.
- right away — The t in 'right away' flaps, so the words run together.
- Out of the blue — Link 'out of' into /aʊdəv/ and keep 'the' weak.
They doubt our ancestry, but they don't say the story isn't accurate.The administration questions the reporters' background and motives but never says the story is false — the classic non-denial denial.
What I can't figure out is, what is a real denial?A baffled follow-up: if this counts as a denial, what would an actual denial even sound like?
Well, if they start calling us goddamn liars, we better start circling the wagons.A half-joke: once the White House drops polite spin and calls the press liars outright, the reporters had better close ranks and brace for a fight.
- Oh, come on, I'm just... - I do what I'm told.The FBI source's only defense: he was just following orders, not making the calls — even when those orders are the story.
For the first time, the break-in makes sense.With the Segretti tip, the break-in stops looking like a random burglary and finally fits into a larger sabotage campaign.
このシーンについての質問
Why is Agnew's statement called a non-denial denial?
He never says the Post's story is false. He attacks the paper's motives and sources instead, so it sounds like a denial while denying nothing — exactly the trick the reporters name.
What does the FBI contact admit to Woodward?
That the bureau's reports keep showing up in the Post almost verbatim, but he insists he only followed orders and can't answer for the whole bureau.
What is the Segretti tip, and why does it matter?
A Tennessee official says Segretti tried to recruit him into a secret group sabotaging Democratic candidates. Segretti's travel records track the Democratic primaries, hinting at a year-long campaign.
What does 'circling the wagons' mean here?
It comes from settlers forming a ring of wagons for defense. The reporters mean that once the White House starts calling the press liars, they should close ranks and prepare to fight.
Why does the break-in 'make sense' at the end?
Until the Segretti tip it looked like a bungled burglary. The tip reframes it as one piece of a sabotage campaign that began a year before the break-in itself.
大統領の陰謀 · 全 18 章
すべて見る →
次のチャプター · 第 15 章double-crossDeep Throat: Look at the Overall
第 1 章work the phonesPolice Arrest the Watergate Burglars
第 2 章under adjudicationWoodward Traces the White House Call
第 3 章bust one's assWho Gets the Watergate Story
第 4 章get to someoneLibrarian Recants to Woodward
第 5 章follow the moneyDeep Throat Says Follow the Money
第 6 章get to someone beforeWoodward Finds the Dahlberg Check
第 7 章caught in the middleThe Donor Confesses to Bernstein
第 8 章monopoly on wisdomBradlee Doubts the Watergate Story
第 9 章cover-upReporters Question the Frightened Clerk
第 10 章bury the reportNixon Renominated, Report Buried
第 11 章fall guyThe Bookkeeper Talks About the Money
第 12 章fake someone outReporters Decode the Matchbook Initials
第 13 章slush fundFive Men Controlled the Slush Fund
再生中 · 第 14 章non-denial denialsThe Non-Denial Denial
第 15 章double-crossDeep Throat: Look at the Overall
第 16 章non-denial denialClawson Denies the Canuck Letter
第 17 章fair gameWoodward and Bernstein Name Haldeman
第 18 章shabby journalismWhite House Attacks the Post第 14 / 18 章 · 残り約 14 分