This is nothing new in the US. It's an old cliche' that politicians used to promise a 'chicken in every pot' while campaigning for office.
Only an idiot would assume they intended to give every household a chicken if elected.
It's a given that when a politician makes a campaign promise they intend to try to fulfill that promise barring the possibility their opposition is too great.
Feigning ignorance of that to imply the politician is dishonest is itself dishonest. It is a bad faith argument.