Donald Trump has been lambasted in a blistering editorial by the New York Post, its board calling on the outgoing US President to "give it up" and concede defeat after weeks of his refusal to do so.
Controlled by billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the conservative tabloid - one of Trump's stalwart media supporters - turned the tables in Monday's edition, emblazoning its front page with a photo of the President with downcast eyes and the headline: "stop the insanity".
The paper was among the first to endorse Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 and earlier this year, its board urged voters to back the Republican's bid for a second term, writing that his re-election would be "the best choice for the United States" - an endeavour he eventually lost to Democratic rival Joe Biden.
However, Trump continues to spout baseless allegations that widespread voter fraud marred the November election and rigged the results against him. Despite his legal team launching lawsuits in several states, none have proved successful - and so far, there has been no viable evidence to corroborate his claims.
And despite their history of backing the former reality TV star's political ambitions, on Sunday (local time) the New York Post's editorial board admonished Trump and his ongoing refusal to accept his loss. The paper called on Trump to stop clinging to "false claims about a stolen election", dubbing the continued efforts to undermine democracy a "dark charade".
"We understand, Mr President, that you're angry that you lost," the editorial board wrote. "But to continue down this road is ruinous."
The tabloid also aimed fire at Trump's attempts to pressure congressional Republicans and Vice President Mike Pence into somehow reversing the result when they meet to certify Biden's electoral college victory on January 6.
"You have tweeted that, as long as Republicans have 'courage', they can overturn the results and give you four more years in office," the Post wrote. "In other words, you're cheering for an undemocratic coup."
The paper acknowledged that Trump was within his rights to investigate the election - but attempts to prove his baseless theories had "found nothing".
Continuing to falsely declare himself as the rightful winner of the election will irreparably tar his legacy, the Post wrote, and instead, the President should focus his attention on the January 5 runoff elections in Georgia, which will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate.
"Democrats will try to write you off as a one-term aberration and, frankly, you're helping them do it.
"The King Lear of Mar-a-Lago, ranting about the corruption of the world."
As reported by the Washington Post, the New York Post's castigation of the President is arguably the most stinging article issued by a typically Trump-friendly media outlet to date.
It comes amid growing speculation that Murdoch's media empire could be turning on Trump. The Murdoch-owned Fox Corporation, the parent organisation of right-wing broadcaster Fox News, has long been considered a close ally of the President. However, viewers and commentators alike noticed the outlet's election reporting became more critical of the Republican, with the network noticeably cutting off coverage of a Trump campaign press conference - during which White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany accused the Democrats of "welcoming fraud" and "illegal voting".
Trump also reportedly exploded in a fit of rage when Fox News projected that Biden had flipped the battleground state of Arizona, according to a behind-the-scenes account of the landmark election night by the Washington Post.
An insider told the outlet that Trump was outraged when the conservative channel declared that Biden was set to secure the swing state, and instructed son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner to call Murdoch immediately.
