Sentence:  [T]he singing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. . . was pressed by our colleague, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, into demonstrating his reported ability to sing a rendition of the Irish holiday song, “Christmas in Killarney.” The general, improbably, <WSD>took the bait</WSD>, and you can now hear it. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To be lured by an offer, flattery, or a provocation into doing something, especially something disadvantageous or dubious.