New York Post readers are accustomed to cheeky headlines, but Thursday morning the news outlet's website and Twitter account were plastered with racist, violent, and explicit messages targeting politicians.

"The New York Post has been hacked," an early morning tweet from the Post's account explained. "We are currently investigating the cause."

The messages have been removed, but they targeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden; New York City Mayor Eric Adams; Texas Governor Greg Abbott; and Ill. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, along with others.

One of the tweets sent by the malicious insider read, "We must destroy and imprison Union teachers."

The site and the New York Post's Twitter feed are currently functioning normally. But the incident highlights the danger that insider threats, armed with credentials, can pose to a business.

"The New York Post's investigation indicates that the unauthorized conduct was committed by an employee, and we are taking appropriate action," a spokesperson for the publication said in a statement following the incident. "This morning, we immediately removed the vile and reprehensible content from our website and social media accounts."