Denial

Denial, in ordinary English usage, is asserting that a statement or allegation is not true.^[1]

The subject may use:

• simple denial: deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether
• minimisation: admit the fact but deny its seriousness (a combination of denial and rationalization)
• projection: admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility by blaming somebody or something else.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial