It's called the paradigm trap. The same pattern worked in times of quarantine pandemics, and now it's running amok in all things Ukraine (see, e.g., https://www.dn.se/ekonomi/katrine-kielos-marcal-vi-maste-vaga-fraga-varfor-sanktionerna-mot-ryssland-inte-fungerar/ where authors try to comprehend why "sanctions from hell" against Russia are even more anemic in 2024 than in 2022 or 2014).

Much earlier, Project Blue Book & the Condon Committee developed a habit to decisively throw away any of the most enigmatic observation reports, which couldn't be haphazardly stuffed into Venus ephemeris or strawman's playbook.