Magazine covers link Donald Trump to Nazis or Ku Klux Klan

German magazine Stern has become the latest respected international news publication to use a controversial cover image to condemn US President Donald Trump's apparent reluctance to condemn white supremacists, Neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.

The cover of the latest issue of Stern features a mock-up of Trump giving a Nazi salute while wrapped in an American flag. The composite image appears alongside the headline "Sein Kampf", which means "his struggle" — a reference to Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf, or "My Struggle". Underneath, a caption reads: "Neo-nazis, Ku Klux Klan, Racism: As Donald Trump stirs the hate in America."

Trump has faced strong criticism for his reaction to clashes between white supremacists and anti-racism groups in Charlottesville, Virginia. The far-right rally culminated in a car ploughing into a group of anti-racism protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others. Trump blamed "both sides" for the violence, prompting a wave of condemnation from senior Republican and Democratic politicians.

The President was backed by former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke, who thanked him for his "honesty and courage." In response, three magazines – The Economist, Der Spiegel and the New Yorker – have this week published covers that combine images of Trump with the white pointy KKK hood.

The Nazi salute and US flag also feature on the cover of Time Magazine, though this time it is an anonymous figure rather than Trump, referring to the rise of hate groups in the US, such as the neo-Nazis, skinheads, Ku Klux Klan members and other white nationalists who gathered in Charlottesville to "take America back".

Edel Rodriguez, the Cuban-American artist who created the cartoon, told Time: "These people are hiding behind the flag and the idea of patriotism it connotes. They have tried to change the language from 'White Supremacist' to 'White Nationalist,' to further hide behind the flag, and the idea of patriotism. But they are espousing the same views as always."