Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat representative of New York's 14th Congressional District, has slammed fellow representative, the Republican Lauren Boebert, for posting a family Christmas picture showing her four children armed with rifles.
The Democrat went on Twitter to ask where Christ had ever said "use the commemoration of my birth to flex violent weapons for personal political gain"?
Ocasio-Cortez also aimed her criticism at the Republicans who had purportedly fuelled “cultural hysteria” over a perceived "erasing of Christmas and it's meaning". According to the politician, posting images such as the one by Boebert showed that “They're doing that fine all on their own".
Boebert's Christmas photo had been in response to a tweet by fellow GOP member, Thomas Massie.
The Republican representative for Kentucky's 4th congressional district had shared a similar photo of him and his family holding rifles in front of a Christmas tree, with the caption: “Merry Christmas! PS Santa, please bring ammo.”
However, Boebert's post came a few days after four high-school pupils lost their life in a school shooting in Michigan and triggered a torrent of criticism, with political commentators and activists branding it “sickening”.
Fifteen-year-old Ethan Crumbley opened fire at Oxford High School killing his fellow pupils and wounding six others and a teacher.
Political commentator Piers Morgan, went on Twitter to lash out at this “family parading of semi-automatic weapons.”
The host of US political commentary show 'The Young Turks', Cenk Uygur, deplored what he described as “obvious child endangerment”.
Actor Bruno Amato tweeted his condemnation of the move as well.
The UK's Archbishop of Canterbury said he was “sickened” by the gun-toting images when the “message of the angels at Christmas is peace on earth”.
Crumbley opened fire on 30 November after a guidance counselling meeting with his parents at the school.
Crumbley is presently facing 24 charges: one count of terrorism causing death; four counts of first-degree murder; seven counts of assault with intent to murder; and 12 counts of firearm possession in the commission of a felony.
If convicted, the 15-year-old faces life imprisonment.