When even the fucking NYT, who would clutch at any possible straw to paint this guy in bad light, is indicating it was self-defence...

They’re probably smart enough to realize that disputing this is only going to draw more attention to what really happened, and that this could potentially turn into a Sandmann-type incident if they take the lie too far.

I’m sure they would rather the whole incident be forgotten. Unfortunately for them, the TDS they helped create will ensure that it is not.