He was lying.
She was lying.
He was mistaken.
She was mistaken.

You and the pro-Trump, pro-life zealots insist the second is correct.

I don’t think either was lying. I think the most likely explanation is the third. He was mistaken. It seems much more likely his memory would be hazy on this - not a big deal in his life - than hers.

He insisted he never lost memory due to drinking...which is of course impossible to know, since he wouldn’t remember what he doesnt remember.

If he had ever said that he occasionally misbehaved in his youth and asked forgiveness, it would have gone fine. People would understand.

But in the Trump era, no one admits anything.

Either Jordan is lying, those former athletes (plural) are lying, Jordan is mistaken, or those former athletes are mistaken.

No alternatives exist.