Outrage after Der Spiegel publishes shocking cover with Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty

  • Influential German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel runs controversial cover featuring cartoon image of Trump holding decapitated head of Lady Liberty
  • 'America First,' reads the front page headline as blood drips down from Liberty's head while Trump triumphantly holds a bloody knife
  • The cover generated visceral reaction on Twitter, with commenters saying that the image was 'stunning'
  • The illustrator, Edel Rodriguez, says he wanted to convey the message that Trump was 'beheading American democracy' 

By Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com

Published: 20:41 EST, 3 February 2017 | Updated: 21:11 EST, 3 February 2017

Social media was abuzz on Friday after the influential German weekly newsmagazine Der Spiegel released its cover of the upcoming edition featuring a cartoon illustration of President Donald Trump holding the decapitated head of Lady Liberty.

'America First,' reads the front page headline as blood drips down from Liberty's head while Trump triumphantly holds a bloody knife.

The image conjures up comparisons to Islamic State henchmen in Iraq and Syria who have videotaped beheadings of prisoners in recent years.

The illustrator of the cartoon, Edel Rodriguez, says that he drew the image to convey the message that ‘Trump was beheading American democracy,' according to The Washington Post.

The influential German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel released its cover of the upcoming edition featuring a cartoon illustration of President Donald Trump holding the decapitated head of Lady Liberty (above)

Rodriguez said he felt compelled to draw the cover given that he came to the United States as a refugee from Cuba in 1980.

Trump has faced widespread condemnation from world governments and domestic critics over his decision to issue an executive order banning the admittance of refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.  

'Oh my god,' tweeted Brad Jaffy.

Joe Scarborough, the co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, tweeted: 'And I always thought Germans were known for their light touch.' 

In its first post-election issue, the cover of Der Spiegel showed a cartoon image of Trump's head heading toward earth as if it were a meteor. The headline read: 'It's the end of the world (as we know it)'

'Oh my god,' tweeted Brad Jaffy. Most of Twitter was stunned at the cover, with many anti-Trump voices applauding the message

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock tweeted: 'In case anyone was confused, this is how the world sees the new presidency.' 

'If America wants to know how the international community views recent events, the new Der Spiegel cover is a good place to start,' tweeted Sara Firth. 

Another Twitter user says that the cover is a 'warning' and an indicator that 'Germans know fascism.' 

'This Der Spiegel Trump cover is stunning,' tweeted Chris Cillizza. 

'The new Der Spiegel cover isn't pulling any punches,' tweeted Andrew Stroehlein. 

There seemed to be a few lone voices on Twitter denouncing the cover. 

'I don't recall Der Spiegel depicting Muslim terrorists this way, when they actually do behead people,' tweeted Ezra Levant.

'The Germans have always been a subtle people,' tweeted journalist Julia Ioffe. 

A number of Twitter users compared the cover to the one put out by The New Yorker.

The bi-weekly publication's cover is far more gentler, showing Lady Liberty's extinguished torch.

'This Der Spiegel Trump cover is stunning,' tweeted Chris Cillizza

There seemed to be a few lone voices on Twitter denouncing the cover. 'I don't recall Der Spiegel depicting Muslim terrorists this way, when they actually do behead people,' tweeted Ezra Levant

Another Twitter user says that the cover is a 'warning' and an indicator that 'Germans know fascism'

'The new Der Spiegel cover isn't pulling any punches,' tweeted Andrew Stroehlein

'If America wants to know how the international community views recent events, the new Der Spiegel cover is a good place to start,' tweeted Sara Firth

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock tweeted: 'In case anyone was confused, this is how the world sees the new presidency'

Joe Scarborough, the co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, tweeted: 'And I always thought Germans were known for their light touch'

'The Germans have always been a subtle people,' tweeted journalist Julia Ioffe

'National image improving bigly,' tweeted Brendan Nyah, using a word made popular during the campaign by Trump

The illustrator of the cartoon, Edel Rodriguez, says that he drew the image to convey the message that ‘Trump was beheading American democracy'

It seems that the more vocal anti-Trump partisans on social media preferred Der Spiegel's interpretation. 

'Interesting to contrast the timidity of the New Yorker with Der Spiegel's cover,' tweeted Ben Harris-Roxas.

'Der Spiegel wins this round,' tweeted another user as he juxtaposed the two covers and placed an '>' sign between them to indicate which he thought was better. 

'The New Yorker, all somber. Der Spiegel, not f***ing around (and nailing it),' tweeted Dan Savage. 

A number of Twitter users compared the cover to the one put out by The New Yorker for its latest issue (above). The bi-weekly publication's cover is far more gentler, showing Lady Liberty's extinguished torch.

'Der Spiegel wins this round,' tweeted another user as he juxtaposed the two covers and placed an '>' sign between them to indicate which he thought was better

'The New Yorker, all somber. Der Spiegel, not f***ing around (and nailing it),' tweeted Dan Savage

'Interesting to contrast the timidity of the New Yorker with Der Spiegel's cover,' tweeted Ben Harris-Roxas

This is not the first time that the German publication has made waves with its Trump-related cover.

In its first post-election issue, the cover of Der Spiegel showed a cartoon image of Trump's head heading toward earth as if it were a meteor.

The headline read in German 'Das ende der welt (wie wir sie kennen)' which translates into the title of the REM song 'It's the end of the world (as we know it).'

That cover was also drawn by Rodriguez.

Another influential magazine, The Economist, also features Trump on the cover.

The Economist (left), also features Trump on the cover, showing him wearing a red 'Make America Great Again' hat just as he is about to throw a Molotov cocktail. More controversially, an Irish publication, Village (right), put a photo of Trump with sniper cross-hairs superimposed

Twitter user Ben Dreyfuss  praised Der Spiegel and The New Yorker, but he wouldn't go near the cover of Village

It shows the president wearing a red 'Make America Great Again' hat just as he is about to throw a Molotov cocktail.

'An insurgent in the White House,' reads the front headline.

More controversially, an Irish political publication put a photograph of Trump on its front page with a cross-hairs superimposed.

'WHY NOT,' reads the cover headline. 

The magazine, Village, writes in its story on why it would not recommend assassinating the president.    

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