FILE – In this Feb. 27, 2008 file photo, The Washington Post building in Washington is shown. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file)

Not long after Donald Trump was sworn in as POTUS, the Washington Post adopted a new slogan that appeared at the top of their website and as well as in print copies:

“Democracy dies in darkness”

But after the last several weeks of appalling “reporting” on the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, they might want to consider changing that slogan to “Democracy dies in stupidity.”

Before we get started on today’s hot take fail, here are some notable examples of their coverage being off the rails in recent weeks:

— The Washington Post’s Gleeful Hot Take on the Crashing Economy Gets the Thrashing It Deserves
— WaPo ‘Fact Checker’ Glenn Kessler Pulls a Schiff, Gets Caught Attributing a Quote to Trump That He Didn’t Say
— WaPo’s Glenn Kessler ‘Fact Checks’ Dr. Fauci on Italy Open Borders Claim … and Gets It Wrong
— WaPo Journo Unhappy With Trump Saying Media ‘Siding With China’ Gets Introduced to Some Inconvenient Truths

The latest example comes in the form of an “analysis” piece written by foreign affairs reporter Ishaan Tharoor, in which he argued that there is no real winner in the United States vs. China coronavirus PR war:

Analysis: No one will win the U.S. and China’s coronavirus contest https://t.co/9rbIuwka3E

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 30, 2020

This is what the mainstream media often does when they have no choice but to report that the “other side” is behaving badly. It’s what they do with Democrats who say stupid things. When Democrats say stupid or controversial things, they’ll report on it in the context of “both sides do it” by providing examples of Republicans saying similarly outrageous things. On the other hand, when it’s a Republican being called out, the media’s “both sides” tactic conveniently disappears.

The Washington Post and every other national media outlet out there knows that China is responsible for this pandemic because they willfully covered it up for many weeks while the virus spread from their country to others.

But instead of focusing on that angle, what they do is nitpick the United States’ response to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak and equate alleged inadequacies in our country’s handling of the crisis to China’s more egregarious examples.

Twitter users were not having it. At all:

"Both sides"-ism

China SHAMED and silenced the doctor who tried to break the story and warn the world, then lied to its own people at the beginning of the outbreak — and then in turn CAUSED the global pandemic.

But sure, WaPo, "both sides are to blame."

Leave America already. pic.twitter.com/3ngQJQ3w2u

— Not Rian's Luke 🌐 (@_LukeCSkywalker) March 30, 2020

A – we're not in a coronavirus contest. To suggest that is incredibly stupid and immoral. China unleashed this on the world. Whatever mistakes the US and other nations have made, it is no comparison to what the Chinese did. Some reporters don't have the courage to admit it

— George L. Duncan (@GeorgeLDuncan) March 30, 2020

Translation: This is China's fault but we sympathize with the Communist government of China so we will be sure to put them in the best light even if it means putting the US in a bad one. Oh, and also, orange man bad.

— C. Swickster 🇺🇸 (@cdswick) March 30, 2020

It's not a contest. China is responsible for this, and they're blaming us because some Americans are stupid and/or corrupt enough to fall for it. We won't forget that you did. https://t.co/dt4e10CwQa

— I didn't vote for him, so think of a new retort (@jtLOL) March 30, 2020

It would be nice if the American media took 1/1000 of the scrutiny they direct towards Trump and applied that to the Chinese government. Lies about human to human transmission, lies about coronavirus numbers, "disappearance" of Chinese whistle blowers, faulty medical devices, etc

— Jay (@Jay57379663) March 30, 2020

Would be nice indeed. Sadly, that’s not going to happen, because Orange Man Bad and all that.

(Hat tip: Twitchy)