The retractions are seen and remembered by a tiny percentage of the people who incorporate the original story into their world view and continue to spread it, and given a tiny fraction of the coverage (in time and space) of the original story. If not for the administration constantly talking about it since, it would still be perceived as true.
If not for the administration constantly talking about it since, most people wouldn't even know there was ever a discussion about it. Which is why the administration keeps talking about it.
