If the internet was not confusing enough, let us help muddy the waters.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) tweeted a GIF of a shirtless man swinging a sledgehammer with the hashtag #MattGaetzIsATool from his personal account.

"I kinda like it," Gaetz wrote.

The GIF comes from a music video cover of Miley Cyrus' 2013 hit "Wrecking Ball." The man in the video? That's Chris Minaj, who describes himself on Twitter a somehow loving pop music stars, Bravo TV, and being a "gay #gaymer."

Minaj's Youtube video has less than 1,000 views since being uploaded in 2013.

Why is #MattGaetzisatool trending?

The hashtag was trending Tuesday, much to the chagrin of the individual who inspired the hashtag. Andy Lassner, a producer for "The "Ellen Degeneres Show," subtweeted an image Gaetz tweeted of himself, President Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump at Game 5 of the World Series Sunday night.

"OMG this fXXXXXX tool," Lassner tweeted, resulting in a Twitter spat with Gaetz the following day.

Gaetz, who last week led a GOP protest into an impeachment inquiry against Trump, accused Lassner of working for NBC and the network lacking accountability for having an employee tweeting "such a dumb/triggered/profane comment." Lassner responded that he doesn't work for NBC. The show is licensed by the network but produced and distributed by a Warner Bros. company.

More Gaetz tweets:Florida Bar says 'no probable cause' that Gaetz violated rules of conduct with Cohen tweet

Gaetz says political criticism shouldn't become violent:Rep. Matt Gaetz spoke at conference where fake video of Trump shooting media was shown

By Tuesday, #MattGaetzIsA Tool was beginning to trend. People like actor Zach Braff and Fred Guttenberg, a gun control advocate whose daughter died in the Stoneman Douglas High School school shooting in 2018, were among those who used the hashtag.

Lassner himself began using the hashtag, but once it exploded in use during National Cat Day, Lassner appeared to lament its popularity.

Such hyperpartisan arguments online are nothing new. On the internet, outrage begets outrage in a world of partisan echo chambers. Gaetz's use of the hashtag appears to be an attempt to draw attention to the backlash he is a target of as a means to drum up support from his base.

Nate Chute is a producer with the USA Today Network. Follow him on Twitter at @nchute.