Mainstream media outlets reacted to Donald Trump’s meandering, bigoted State of the Union speech on Tuesday night with another round of stories seeking to normalize his abnormal behavior. The practice, called “sanewashing,” has been a feature of mainstream coverage of Trump since he became a political figure in 2015.

The speech these outlets are doing their best to make into a historical pivot point was nothing to cheer about. Trump lied at length about purported economic improvements on his watch and doubled down on failed policies like tariffs that are causing demonstrable harm to the economy.

And when he wasn’t lying, he was being racist. He used his office and the speech to sling racist attacks at Black immigrants, specifically the Somali people residing in Minnesota. The slurs prompted a response from Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who yelled back at Trump, “You have killed Americans.”

Since 2015, the mainstream press has worked overtime to present an image of Trump that doesn’t match up with reality. They simply omit his worst offenses or summarize his statements and actions without providing context to their audiences. When he makes disastrous mistakes, they are morphed into mere “blunders” and at moments like the State of the Union this drive to clean up after Trump goes into overdrive.