Khrushcev, the Premier of the Soviet Union in the 1960s

Khrushcev, the premier of the Soviet Union in the 1960s, did away with a political rival, Beria, by encouraging others in the powerful presidium that Beria was a danger to them. Assuming that Khrushcev thought of himself as a good person with high self-esteem, dissonance theory suggests he would:

A) remember Beria fondly and not deserving such treatment.
B) consider the members of the presidium as cruel and monstrous.
C) misremember Beria as cruel and monstrous.
D) think that Beria was simply a victim of the situational pressures when power changes hands.