Analogies are flawed, by their nature. In this case, we don't have a clear case of X, followed bu backtracking and claims of not really saying X. Instead, we have the same X, that some people interpret as malice and hate speech, and other people interpret as using alt-righters own bad language back at them.

"You see Praetor, we don't know that he didn't think a bad thought."

This insistence on attributing maximum malice is part of the problem.