Final answer:
President Reagan initially denied knowledge of the Iran-Contra affair but later admitted to failing to detect and prevent the illegal deals. The acceptance of Reagan's explanation is subjective.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Iran-Contra affair, President Reagan initially denied any knowledge of the arms-for-hostages deals with Iran. However, he later admitted that although he did not believe he traded arms for hostages, the facts and evidence indicated otherwise. Reagan maintained that he failed to detect and prevent his administration from carrying out these illegal deals. Whether or not to accept Reagan's explanation is a subjective decision. Some may find his lack of knowledge plausible, while others believe he should have taken responsibility for the actions of his administration.