The Guardians of Truth who breathlessly ran with the Jussie Smollett “hate crime” narrative are in full-on damage control mode, which means they’re no longer making any real efforts to disguise their desperation.

Case in point, the Associated Press. As Byron York notes, they’ve got quite a way with words when it comes to contrasting liberal and conservative reactions to the developments in the Smollett case:

From @AP: Celebrities 'rallied behind Smollett' when he alleged MAGA attack. Now, with growing evidence attack was hoax, some conservatives have 'gleefully seized' on the news. https://t.co/haqOV2zL4n — Byron York (@ByronYork) February 18, 2019

From the AP:

The national outrage that simmered after actor Jussie Smollett said he was attacked by people shouting racial and anti-gay slurs was fueled in part by celebrities who spoke out loud and strong on social media. But the outrage has now been replaced by surprise, doubt and bafflement as the singers, actors and politicians who came out in support of the “Empire” star struggle to digest the strange twists the case has taken. Some conservative pundits, meanwhile, have gleefully seized on the moment.

“Gleefully seized.” So, once again, conservatives are the bad guys. It’s pretty clear that Jussie Smollett manufactured a hate crime to smear conservatives, but conservatives are the bad guys.

That's the only spin card they have here. — Darren Hunter (@darren_hunter1) February 18, 2019

More:

Skeptics, including conservative pundits Dinesh D’Souza and Tomi Lahren, seized on the doubts that have arisen. “And Libs wonder why we don’t believe their BS stories,” Lahren tweeted Saturday. On Sunday, she criticized those who used social media after the attack to push “the narrative (that) Trump supporters are racist homophobes.”

Nice of the AP to cite only two “conservative pundits” by name and just so happening to choose two bona fide nutballs.

"…conservative pundits Dinesh D’Souza and Tomi Lahren…" Obviously no journalistic effort was spared in researching this article. Also, they misspelled "grifters." — CLA (@ConservativeLA) February 18, 2019

Plenty of not-insane-or-discredited conservatives were also skeptical of Smollett’s story. Not just because the story made conservatives look bad, but because it didn’t pass the smell test from the very beginning. Everyone should’ve been skeptical of Smollett’s story. The fact that most of the skeptics were conservative only highlights the Left’s need to believe that conservatives are all knuckle-dragging racists.

Celebrities “gleefully seized” on a fake story that fit a narrative, some conservatives “gleefully seized” on the truth. — Michael A. Lewis (@MichaelALewis73) February 18, 2019

Can anyone remember mainstream media headlines that said the Democrats who used the Smollett hoax to smear all Trump supporters were "gleefully seizing" on his fabricated account? Of course not. Lefties don't pounce or seize, they "call out" their targets. https://t.co/HgFNc9MuoJ — John Hayward (@Doc_0) February 18, 2019

Because, to paraphrase Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, even when they’re wrong, progressives are “morally right.” And that’s all that really matters.

All the while the @AP mourns the loss of a potential stiry to ignite more racial tension. Sorry guys, keep cherrypicking, you'll find one eventually — Nikolai Husky (@NikolaiHusky) February 18, 2019

Any wonder why people can't stand the media? Don't trust them? See them as rabble rousers and instigators? — Watchman (@Neganbat) February 18, 2019

It is with absolutely no glee in my heart and the greatest respect for the journalistic profession that I ask the Associated Press to kiss my ass, you hacks. pic.twitter.com/lZkdjdgiJd — Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) February 18, 2019