alt Hacker NewsNah. Nobody who's career goes anywhere in government is that dumb.
I'd bet a lot of money that once things got "bad for my job" level bad people turned off the recording without having to be told. This is SOP slimy government behavior. Everything from your local permitting office to the CIA.
So they're probably right, the footage never existed, but the reason is even more damning.
Counterpoint: Have you seen this administration? You don't think Kristi Noem would tell a baldfaced lie if it served her interests? I mean we only have several examples of her doing exactly that.
This is the government you get when you hire based on loyalty instead of competence.