Outlet apologizes after reporting 'striking moment Gov. Ralph Northam put on his own black face mask'

A Virginia news affiliate was left red-faced on Monday after tweeting the news that Gov. Ralph Northam (D) of blackface fame "put on his own black face mask" in what the outlet described as "a striking moment."

What are the details?

As jurisdictions across the U.S. implement guidance (and orders) regarding face coverings in public during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam decided to demonstrate to Virginians how to wear a protective mask.

Northam, who famously donned either blackface or a KKK mask in a photo displayed in his medical school yearbook from decades ago, became the butt of jokes after a local NBC affiliate tweeted:

"In a striking moment, Gov. Ralph Northam put on his own black face mask. He urged every Virginian to do the same."

Shortly thereafter, WRC-TV deleted the message and tweeted, "Correction: We made a misjudgment in a tweet about Gov. Northam's face mask. We sincerely apologize for the error."

In fairness, Gov. Northam himself was reluctant to put on the mask during his neews conference earlier in the day. The governor was asked in the briefing why he and other officials speaking were not wearing the protective coverings.

The governor then pulled his mask out and held it in his hand before his demonstration, explaining, "We all have masks, and when we exit the building, that's when we wear our masks. But when we're inside, in our offices, we don't keep them on."

Gov. Northam noted that his mask was designed by Virginia's Department of Corrections and assured the public that it is comfortable while providing a how-to.

The governor's demonstration begins at 1:40 in this video:

Gov. Northam: I would advise everyone to wear a face covering when you're out"www.youtube.com