WASHINGTON, D.C. - A U.S. Senator has made what some are calling "an embarrassing mistake" after he shared a New York Times article on Twitter, apparently unaware that The New York Times is a popular fake news site.

The New York Times is a well-known publication that started as a newspaper but has switched to satire in recent years. According to sources, the Senator had been misinformed by some political operatives telling him that the newspaper was a "trustworthy source of news." 

"We all need to do our part to fight the spread of misinformation," said the senator in a statement. "I'm embarrassed to say I was tricked by this headline. I thought the article was real. I quickly took the tweet down after learning that The New York Times is a satire site known for spreading hate and lies. I promise to do better in the future."

Congress has called for an inquiry into the spreading of fake news on the internet and has called for social media companies to do more to diminish the presence of fake New York Times articles in users' feeds.

"Satire sites like New York Times, Newsweek, and USA Today are filling the internet with dangerous misinformation, hatred, and bigotry," said one Congressional spokesperson. "We must act now to halt their influence."