Khaberni - Indiana State Senator, Republican Chris Garten, stirred a wide wave of controversy and anger on social media after posting artificially generated images showing him attacking "Santa Claus" in scenes described as offensive.
Garten posted the images on his official account on the platform "X" during Christmas season, depicting him punching and kicking Santa Claus in front of a crowd of fans, along with another image where he appeared dressed as Santa riding a reindeer, in a scene many considered inappropriate mockery of a symbol associated with the holiday, according to the "New York Post".
The Republican senator accompanied the images with a comment saying "The North Pole is trying to impose more bureaucracy and restrictions under the guise of joy," adding: "We run Indiana, not the bureaucrats".
Angry Reactions
The images sparked angry reactions on social media, where users described them as "violent and inappropriate", while others considered it an "offense" to a global symbol associated with peace and joy.
The Democratic Party in Indiana criticized what it described as the senator’s "non-serious behavior", considering the post a reflection of a disregard for public responsibility.
Justification
In contrast, Garten defended himself, affirming that the images are satirical and were designed with the participation of his children. He attacked his critics, describing them as exaggerators, adding that the angry reactions reflect what he called an exaggerated state of societal anger.
