The New York Times showed once again how far it has fallen from the journalistic platform it once boasted.

The left-wing paper offered up an attack on a Republican lawmaker who is currently running for re-election this November in a swing district of New York, reporting on a photo obtained of Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) wearing “blackface.”

The New York Republican, who is running against black former lawmaker Mondaire Jones, denied the “blackface” accusations, saying photos of him dressed as Michael Jackson for a Halloween party in 2006 when he was 20 years old. Lawler had dressed as Jackson at Manhattan College and the photos printed by The Times showed him wearing a black shirt with a red jacket, his face appearing darkened.

Lawler insisted the costume was “truly the sincerest form of flattery” as he addressed the surfaced photo which showed “a genuine homage to my musical hero since I was a little kid trying to moonwalk through my mom’s kitchen.”

“The ugly practice of blackface was the furthest thing from my mind,” he said. “Let me be clear, this is not that.”

“I am a student of history and for anyone who takes offense to the photo, I am sorry,” Lawler said. “All you can do is live and learn.”

“Obviously I can’t change what happened 18 years ago,” Lawler told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Thursday. “But I certainly, with wisdom and age, understand that that is not something that I would do today, and certainly understand why people would be upset or offended by it. And for that, I’m sorry.”

He told Collins there was “no ill intent” behind his party costume which was not meant to disparage black Americans. Lawler explained that he had used a friend’s bronzer to complete the look and “pay homage to somebody who was a musical idol for me.”

“I’ve always loved Michael Jackson’s music and his dance moves and his ability to entertain. Anyone who knows me, knows that,” he said.

“Obviously we should not and cannot tolerate the demeaning and dehumanization of Black people,” Lawler said. “And that is not something, certainly, that I would do or engage in or tolerate.”

“I understand how this can be very upsetting to somebody, and so certainly, I do apologize for that,” he said. “But for me, obviously I think intent here is important.”

The New York Times breathlessly published the scoop about Lawler, adding how the GOP candidate once flew out to California to attend portions of Jackson’s criminal trial in 2005. But what the paper may have touted as riveting journalism was panned as anything but by social media users.

What a college kid wore to a halloween party 18 years ago is hardly news nor is it really relevant today.

— Robert Cooper (@robertatlee) October 3, 2024

Such hard hitting journalism.

— Paul Dreyer (@PaulJDreyer) October 3, 2024

So did Kamala campaign staffer and ex Virginia governor Ralph Northam

So did Howard Stern

So did Jimmy Kimmel

And so on and so forth pic.twitter.com/reaWnST6OF

— Niccoli (@TigerNick86) October 3, 2024

No
One
Cares

— Yvette Marchand (@Marchand408) October 3, 2024

How freaking ridiculous is this post?

— UltraMAGANYgirl (@NYer4Trump) October 3, 2024

Someone needs to tell the @nytimes what Halloween is.

— Tom (@MIwolverine10) October 4, 2024

Who cares? There are real problems to worry about in this country.

— Jean LeCompte (@BoeufEtLiberte) October 3, 2024

How on Earth could that possibly be seen as news? Why do you go so totally bonkers at events so far away? This is extremist rubbish.

— Oscar Wise 💥 (@VeryWiseMan) October 3, 2024

Another riveting expose on the important stuff with some sweet racial animosity as a treat from NYT. Dorks.

— Paul W Allen (@TheRantSupply) October 3, 2024