Overview

• In a ZDF podcast, Theveßen said his earlier claim about Kirk was wrong and issued a public apology.
• He had asserted that Kirk called for stoning homosexuals, but now says Kirk referenced a Leviticus passage that mentions a death penalty, not stoning.
• He described the mistake as a misleading shortening and cited overconfidence in a heated moment.
• Nius was first to report the correction, which was recorded for the ZDF podcast released on September 26 and widely covered on October 1.
• He has faced intense criticism from Trump-aligned figures, including a visa-revocation call by Richard Grenell, and says attempts to engage critics brought mostly threats and insults.