I have no doubt they are empowering each other in a sick feedback loop.

I had a friend that was always into guns but was normal about it. Then he started hanging out with this other gun guy. Within a couple years they were both psycho gun nuts. He started sleeping with a loaded the gun under his pillow. Even though he had a five year old son. To quote “He isn’t strong enough to cycle the slide so it’s ok …”

I noped out of the friendship after that.