Answer: It was a setup - since Aharon clearly regretted it immensely even in the midst of the performance of the aveirah, and he was punished for it severely, fixing what was broken is far easier than it otherwise would have been. The fact that Aharon HaKohen was involved in it was the achilles heal of the sin of the golden calf.
[I don't currently have a source for this teaching, but I feel I know it to be true. If you do have a source, feel free to share it with me!]
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