Yep. It's not so much that Reddit management did something hugely awful in this, or are likely to repeat it. It's that it's opened the door to the suspicion of repeat behavior. Let a million conspiracy theories bloom!
Really, the one this actually hurts is Reddit itself. To hurl in this stinkbomb when a good chunk of the site already considers itself at war with the management... Just profoundly stupid.
If anything, a more realistic vision of what will happen:
-Asker: Mr President, <insert question>
-President: <insert unpopular answer>
-Fans of President: I BET THEY EDITED THE PRESIDENT'S ANSWER and a bunch of drama