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A German magazine has sparked international debate with the release of a particularly controversial cover.

Der Spiegel, a German weekly news magazine, tweeted an image of their cover on Saturday, which depicts President Donald Trump brandishing a knife and the bloodied head of the Statue of Liberty, alongside the text ‘America First.’

Ab heute überall dort, wo es Zeitschriften gibt: Der neue SPIEGEL. Kostenlos durchblättern geht hier: https://t.co/N0k3HT6Dgt pic.twitter.com/yI64jDMZA4

— SPIEGEL Medien (@SPIEGEL_Medien) February 4, 2017

In Germany alone, the media is divided as to whether the cover went too far, with one headline reading, “This Spiegel cover devalues journalism.”

Some believe the cover was purely run for shock-value and to attract attention to the magazine, while the German vice-president of the European Parliament described the image as “tasteless.”

Others in the German media have said the cover feeds into Trump’s paranoia about the press and the way it distorts him. It’s also been said that simply suggesting that Trump is a terrorist is not clever, and those two issues need to be kept separate.

Listen: The Mamamia Out Loud audience talks Trump. Post continues after audio.

However, during a protest against Trump’s immigration ban in Berlin on Saturday, the cover featured on a number of posters. It’s also been shared widely on social media.

When describing the cover, Spiegel’s chief editor said, “the American president beheads the symbol which has welcomed migrants and refugees to the United States since 1886, and with democracy and freedom.”

Editor of @DerSPIEGEL@Brinkbaeumer —in the issue w/Trump beheading Statue of Liberty cover: https://t.co/8BIcORIEmD pic.twitter.com/oHiKlU3IS8

— Philip Gourevitch (@PGourevitch) February 4, 2017

In a headline, TheWashington Postdescribed the image as “stunning,” while filmmaker Morgan Spurlock tweeted, “‘In case anyone was confused, this is how the world sees the new presidency.”

Other Twitter user described the cover as a “warning” and wrote “Germans know fascism.”

Der Spiegel‘s cover is one of many trying to capture the current mood around Donald Trump’s presidency. In their upcoming cover,The New Yorkerwent for a more sombre approach.

Bloomberg Businessweek,by contrast, tried to add some humour to their very serious message.

NEW COVER: Stability is good for business. Donald Trump’s whims threaten it https://t.co/c9wNJcY3Km pic.twitter.com/mY5b0a833l

— Businessweek (@BW) February 2, 2017

Do you think the Der Spiegel cover goes too far?

Clare Stephens

Contributor

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