Taylor Lorenz, a columnist for The Washington Post, is currently under investigation by the publication after being accused of posting a photo on social media branding President Biden a “war criminal.”
The image, reportedly shared on Instagram, shows Lorenz taking a selfie at a White House “Creators’ Summit” with Biden in the background. The caption, “War criminal,” was accompanied by a sad face emoticon and was allegedly posted using Instagram’s “close friends” feature, limiting its visibility to a select group. Instagram stories automatically disappear after 24 hours.
HOLY SHLIT. Taylor Lorenz claimed the picture of her calling Biden a “war criminal” was edited. Turns out it’s NOT edited and NPR obtained the actual post and got confirmation from 4 different people that it’s real.
You can’t make this up pic.twitter.com/bAFPZzPtAi
— Libs of TikTok (@libsofttalk) August 16, 2024
A spokesperson for The Washington Post confirmed they are aware of the alleged post and are investigating the matter. Lorenz has denied the accusation, insisting the post was doctored and stating on X, “You people will fall for any dumbass edit someone makes.”
This is not the first time Lorenz has found herself embroiled in controversy. She has previously been criticised for publicly attacking colleagues, allegedly doxxing LibsOfTikTok creator Chaya Raichik, and engaging in a public dispute with a Sopranos meme account over the coronavirus vaccine.
In 2022, Lorenz revealed she was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to online harassment and has made headlines for her unconventional views, including declaring air-conditioning sexist.
