?It?s who they are?: gun-fetish photo a symbol of Republican abasement under Trump

It is a festive family photo with seven broad smiles and a Christmas tree. But one other detail sets it apart: each member of the Massie family is brandishing a machine gun or military-style rifle.

The photo was tweeted last week by Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman from Kentucky, with the caption: "Merry Christmas! PS: Santa, please bring ammo."

A few days earlier, a school shooting in Michigan left four teenagers dead and seven people injured after a 15-year-old student allegedly went on a rampage.

Massie's post earned widespread condemnation but was also seen as indicative of a performative, provocative brand of Republican politics, calculated to go viral, "own the libs" - that is, provoke outrage on the left - and contribute to the outsized influence of supporters of Donald Trump.

"Here his family's got guns under a Christmas tree just after four kids were killed," said Elaine Kamarck, a former official in the Clinton administration. "The guy's abominable but that's what's happening to the Republican party. They're flat-out nuts. There's a piece of the Republican party that now supports violence."

Recent examples include Paul Gosar, a congressman from Arizona, posting an animated video that depicted him killing Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking Joe Biden. All but two Republicans in the House refused to vote to censure him.

Last month, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert made anti-Muslim remarks about Ilhan Omar. Boebert claimed she and a member of her staff were taking a lift at the US Capitol when she saw an alarmed police officer running toward them. She said she turned to her left and spotted the Minnesota Democrat standing beside them.