This is an instance of trying to make the public doubt their own reality. They're saying we are confused, or that there is confusion. They don't admit blame, so it's to assume we, the public, are the confused ones. And even if we don't immediately assume that we're the confused ones, we are still going to question ourselves. It implants that there is confusion somewhere, and that maybe we misunderstood them somehow. That maybe we missed something? It is gaslighting by definition and, in fact, a very good example of it.

Not going to happen. Words consistently get watered down in meaning by slight misuses that compound over time. There's no stopping that. People don't like being told they're using a word wrong. (And if language is constantly evolving, is there even a way to use a word incorrectly?)