Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz has reversed her stance on a controversial Instagram post that went viral last week. Lorenz initially claimed that her post, which labeled Joe Biden a “war criminal,” was edited. However, she has since admitted the post was genuine but insisted it was meant as a joke.
The controversy began when New York Post reporter Jon Levine shared a screenshot of Lorenz’s Instagram story. The image showed Lorenz taking a selfie with Biden in the background, accompanied by the caption “war criminal” and a frowny face emoji. The post quickly drew attention and sparked outrage on social media.
Taylor Lorenz of the Washington Post calls President Biden a “war criminal” 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/ih0xWPw049
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) August 14, 2024
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Lorenz responded to Levine’s claims on X (formerly Twitter), dismissing them with the comment, “You people will fall for any dumba– edit someone makes.” Despite this initial denial, Lorenz later acknowledged the authenticity of the post but defended it as an “obvious meme” and claimed she never denied it was real.
You people will fall for any dumbass edit someone makes
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) August 14, 2024
Speculation had arisen online that Lorenz’s post might have been a reference to musician Lucy Dacus, who had used similar language to describe former President Obama in a separate social media post last year.
Fox News Digital has confirmed that the Instagram story was shared using the “close friends” feature, as indicated by the green star icon. This means the post was not publicly visible and could only be accessed by a select group of Lorenz’s Instagram followers. NPR reported that “four people with direct knowledge” of the post confirmed its authenticity.
In response to NPR’s reporting, Lorenz remarked, “Only about 7 people saw the actual close friends post (I have very few people on CF) and almost all are my normie non-media friends. So [I don’t know] who this guy is talking about [to be honest].”
Only about 7 people saw the actual close friends post (I have very few people on CF) and almost all are my normie non media friends. So idk who this guy is talking about tbh
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) August 16, 2024
The Washington Post has yet to provide further comment on the matter despite previously acknowledging awareness of the post. The newspaper’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “We’re aware of the alleged social media post and are looking into it.”
The controversy surrounding Lorenz’s post occurs in the context of heightened criticism of Joe Biden from the far-left over his handling of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Some critics, including Lorenz, have labeled Biden “Genocide Joe” for continuing to support military aid to Israel following the October 7 terrorist attack. Lorenz, known for her outspoken views on the conflict, has been a vocal critic of Israeli policies.
Lorenz has a history of sparking debates through her social media activity and reporting methods, adding another layer of complexity to her latest controversy.
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