Hustler magazine sent Christmas cards to members of the US Congress which depict President Donald Trump lying in a pool of blood as people cheer ‘Merry Christmas!’, sparking a mix of outrage and hilarity.

The cards depict an unnamed cartoon assassin aping comments Trump made on the 2016 campaign trail as it says, “I just shot Donald Trump on Fifth Avenue and no one arrested me,” with a smoking gun in hand. Trump famously bragged that such was his support, he could literally get away with murder on the streets of NY and still be elected.

Republican Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson shared an image of the card he received and decried the extremism of the so-called “radical left” on display.

Here's all you need to know about the radical Left. A young staffer of mine opened this in a stack of holiday mail today. Just imagine if a conservative had distributed such a disgusting and hateful piece about a Democrat. I hope this will be investigated by the @secretservicepic.twitter.com/0q4FRQGdkY — Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) January 2, 2020

Even an erstwhile opponent of Trump, Mark Zaid, the attorney who represents the whistleblower in the Ukraine controversy at the heart of the impeachment hearings, expressed his disgust at the cartoon, saying it “absolutely crosses the line.”

This is unacceptable, and clearly I'm no fan of this President. But this absolutely crosses the line and there should be a public apology. Something like this is not a joking matter. https://t.co/5nuY1IslTM — Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) January 2, 2020

Others called for calm, arguing that the softcore porn magazine was hardly representative of the Democratic Party platform.

Meanwhile, the hilarity of the situation proved too much for others, who couldn’t resist the opportunity to point out how ridiculous the entire situation was.

My family and i are shocked. We usually put the HUSTLER christmas card up on the fridge. My children are crying and it is your fault mister flynt https://t.co/xB3TQmPTfA — Jake Flores (@feraljokes) January 2, 2020

Hustler magazine confirmed the card's authenticity as the company’s official holiday card, which was sent to multiple congressional offices, but has so far declined to comment on the controversy.

The magazine’s founder Larry Flynt is a known critic of the US president and previously offered a $1 million reward for anyone who could provide him with compromising footage of then-candidate Donald Trump. He later took out a full-page ad in the Washington Post offering $10 million for information leading to Trump's impeachment and removal from office.

It’s not the first time an artistic portrayal of a Trump assassination has drawn controversy. A 2017 production of Julius Caesar by the Shakespeare in the Park group depicted a Trumpian 'Caesar' being repeatedly stabbed to death, much to the outrage and consternation of conservatives and Trump supporters. The play went on to lose sponsors Delta Air Lines, among others.

Also on rt.com Trump-like Caesar performance: Pushing boundaries of art or creating climate of hate?

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