The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been criticised over an article featuring a photo of the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a former congresswoman who was shot next to a headline that reads “Target Practice”.

The article appeared in the March issue of the NRA’s monthly publication the American Rifleman with the featured photo taken last month at an announcement about proposed legislation to expand background checks for firearms purchases.

Standing behind Ms Pelosi in the photo is Gabrielle Giffords, a former Democratic congresswoman from Arizona who was shot in the head during a constituency meeting in 2011.

The article, written by Chris W Cox, executive director of the NRA’s lobbying arm, described Ms Pelosi as an “arch anti-gunner,” and said the proposal was being “deceptively marketed to the public” and was “a broadside against gun ownership in America”.

On Friday, a political reporter at HuffPost, Jennifer Bendery, posted photographs of the article on Twitter, setting off rounds of criticism about the juxtaposition of the headline and photo.

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, condemned the NRA and said on Twitter the layout was an “incitement of violence.”

Senator Christopher Murphy, who has been a vocal supporter of gun restrictions since the 2012 mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, said on Twitter that the magazine’s editorial decisions were not accidental.

Representative Eric Swalwell said on Twitter that the layout was “a call for violence” and that the NRA “should face legal consequences”.

“But let’s put them out of business with boycotts and ballot boxes,” he wrote.

Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC Show all 12 1 /12 Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC Protesters hold up signs and flags to show solidarity with House Democrats after they staged a sit in over gun-control laws on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 23. 2016. Andrew Caballero/AFP/Getty Images Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC A lone protester wears tape printed with the U.S. flag on her mouth while attending an open hearing of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where intelligence chiefs, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, testified at the U.S. Capitol February 25, 2016 in Washington, DC. Clapper said that the group known as the Islamic State, or ISIS, has become a greater global threat than al-Qaida ever was. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) waves to supporters along with House Democrats after their sit-in over gun-control law on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 23, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC Supporters of House Democrats taking part in a sit-in on the House Chamber shout encouragement from outside the U.S. Capitol on June 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Led by civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) Democrats, have maintained control of the House chamber since this morning demanding a vote on gun control legislation. Pete Marovich/Getty Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC U.S. House Democrats walk out on the East Front on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., after their sit-in over gun-control law, June 23, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC A poster for the gun-control law support is left on the ground on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 23, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (R) applauds as Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) (L) waves to supporters along with House Democrats after their sit-in over gun-control law on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 23, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC Supporters of House Democrats taking part in a sit-in on the House Chamber shout encouragement from outside the U.S. Capitol on June 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Led by civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) Democrats have maintained control of the House chamber since this morning demanding a vote on gun control legislation. Pete Marovich/Getty Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (R) and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) (L) walk out with House Democrats on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., after their sit-in over gun-control law, June 23, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC U.S. House Democrats walk out on the East Front on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., after their sit-in over gun-control law, June 23, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC U.S. House Democrats walk out on the East Front on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., after their sit-in over gun-control law, June 23, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Protests call for stricter gun-control laws in Washington DC Protesters hold up signs and flags to show solidarity with House Democrats after they staged a sit in over gun-control laws on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 23. 2016. Andrew Caballero/AFP/Getty Images

Responding to Mr Swalwell, Representative Dan Crenshaw denied that the NRA was targeting Democrats.

“How can you claim this? Are you deliberately lying or did you just not read it?” Mr Crenshaw wrote on Twitter.

“The article is about legislation targeting gun owners, not the NRA targeting Democrats. If your goal is to ensure that ‘outrage culture’ is alive and well, continuing to divide us, congrats.”

The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Peter Ambler, executive director of Giffords, an umbrella group that supports gun violence prevention, called the headline “reprehensible”.

“Evoking threats of violence should never be tolerated,” he said. “Words matter. This headline should tell us all we need to know about how wildly out of touch the NRA is with its own members and how low they will stoop to advance their damaging agenda at the expense of our safety.”

A spokesman for Ms Pelosi declined to comment. But her daughter Christine Pelosi said on Twitter that this “hate speech” should not get in the way of “common sense gun violence prevention such as #HR8”.

The HR8 is the congressional background check bill, which is expected to come to the House floor for a vote this week.

The NRA magazine’s latest issue surfaced after high-profile government officials were the recent targets of veiled or explicit threats of violence.

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Donald Trump’s long-time adviser, Roger Stone, who is under indictment on charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, posted a photo of the federal judge handling his criminal case with what appeared to be the cross hairs of a gun near her head.

Separately, Ms Pelosi’s name emerged on a list of Democrats and journalists that officials said was put together by Christopher Hasson, a Coast Guard lieutenant federal investigators labelled a “domestic terrorist”. They said he planned to assassinate prominent figures.