What a wild night it was!
There’s been quite a stir after Indiana state Sen. Chris Garten (R) caused a commotion on Christmas Day by sharing a peculiar series of AI-generated images depicting him getting into a scuffle with Santa Claus in front of the state capitol building.
The mock images show a sleeveless Garten in the midst of a crowd of supporters, engaging in a wrestling match with Santa Claus, complete with kicks, punches, and body splashes.
“When you discover that the North Pole is trying to sneak in more bureaucratic rules and unfunded mandates under the guise of ‘Christmas cheer.’ Not on my watch. We The People govern Indiana, not the bureaucrats,” stated the Indiana State Senate majority floor leader in a post on his X account.
“Go back to the North Pole, big guy. Merry Christmas, Hoosiers! 🇺🇸🎅🏻🥊.”
Garten later came to his own defense and mentioned that he faced “a lot of intolerance, profanity, and anger” over images that he had fun creating with his kids.
“Some of you are just unbearable. Hopefully, your negativity stays in the comments section and doesn’t spill over to your loved ones,” he remarked on X. “Merry Christmas, snowflakes!”
Despite Garten’s attempt at a humorous Santa takedown, critics on the platform didn’t take too kindly to his actions.
