German magazine sparks controversy with cover of Donald Trump beheading Statue of Liberty

German weekly magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday sparked controversy around the world with a new publication cover depicting the US president, Donald Trump holding the severed head of the Statue of Liberty in one hand and a bloodied knife in the other after beheading the Statue.

The cover which illustrates a cartoon figure of Trump with a bloodied knife in one hand and the statue's head, dripping with blood, in the other with the caption; "America First" has generated controversy on social media with many criticizing the publication.

The cover was designed by Cuban artist, Edel Rodriguez, who came to the United States in 1980 as a political refugee.

"It's a beheading of democracy, a beheading of a sacred symbol," he told The Washington Post.

“And clearly, lately, what's associated with beheadings is ISIS, so there's a comparison” between the ISIS extremist group and Trump.

“Both sides are extremists, so I'm just making a comparison between them,” he said.