German satirical writer and comedian Sebastian Hotz, known as El Hotzo, has caused major uproar with a post regarding the assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a campaign rally in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In the post, he suggested that he would have been pleased with a more tragic outcome than just a minor injury to the Republican's ear. Now, the 29-year-old faces trial for allegedly condoning and glorifying a criminal act.
The German Association of Journalists is outraged by the proceedings. A year ago, a man in Pennsylvania shot at Trump from a rooftop, hitting his right ear. One attendee died, and two others were injured. The shooter was killed by security forces. In his controversial post, Hotz compared the shots fired at Trump to the "last bus" and commented: “Unfortunately, he missed by a little.” The 29-year-old also added: “I think it’s absolutely fantastic when fascists die.”
Hotz deleted the posts shortly after publishing them, but by then, a storm of criticism erupted across online media. Following an initiative by then Vice President of the German Bundestag, Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP), prosecutors launched an investigation. One immediate consequence was that the public broadcaster ARD Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) ended its collaboration with Hotz on the youth radio station Fritz a year ago. He was no longer allowed to host the show
"Theoretisch cool". RBB program director Katrin Günther stated at the time: “His statements are not compatible with the values that RBB represents.” The Journalists' Association considers the trial to be “completely excessive,” warning that the 29-year-old could face a prison sentence in the worst-case scenario. Association chairman Mika Beuster emphasized that freedom of satire must be interpreted generously: “There can only be one consequence: the proceedings must be dropped,” said Beuster.
