If he gives a concrete answer in most directions, he's bound to incite a non-hypothetical emotional reaction. While I think he should be able to answer the question, I really can understand why he would hedge around doing so. It's a pretty hefty hypothetical that people are going to take as him saying "This is what we will do." Even if that is what they would do, that may entail a huge backlash over a "hypothetical".

I'd probably refrain from giving an actual answer as well