Sebastian Hotz, an employee of German state television ZDF who regularly appears on Jan Böhmermann’s “ZDF-Magazin Royale” under the name “El Hotzo,” has expressed regret that Donald Trump did not die in the assassination attempt.
On X, where the 28-year-old has 694,000 followers, he wrote: “I think it’s absolutely fantastic when fascists die.”
Sebastian Hotz (Gagschreiber von Jan Böhmermann und ausgezeichnet mit dem BR Kabarettpreis) zum Anschlag auf Donald Trump. #ReformOerr #OerrBlog pic.twitter.com/8Gs2hI7b6M
— ÖRR Blog. (@OERRBlog) July 14, 2024
High-profile media lawyer Joachim Steinhöfel shared the post and wrote:
“This is the ugly, fascist grimace of Böhmermann’s accomplices. The people that ZDF has allowed to act without restraint for far too long. Celebrating an assassination attempt, regretting that it was unsuccessful. When does that have what consequences?” (‘Culling Nazis’)” he asked.
Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) was appalled by the article and described it as “public approval of serious crimes.”
He assumed that the public prosecutor’s office would deal with the matter.
ZDF has remained silent
ZDF has not yet commented on the hate speech.
For years, the broadcaster, which is financed via compulsory fees, has repeatedly backed Böhmermann, even when he recently compared political opponents to infected pigs and called on them to “cull Nazis.”
Sebastian Hotz was awarded the Bavarian Cabaret Prize last year. This is awarded by Bayerischer Rundfunk, among others. Following numerous protests, “El Hotzo” has since deleted his post on X about the assassination attempt on the Republican presidential candidate.
