German newspaper Der Spiegel has published what it says is the full audio of its interview with Morrissey after he refuted controversial quotes that appeared in the article.

In a lengthy Facebook post titled 'The Slander System', the former Smiths frontman appeared to suggest he was misquoted when making remarks about subjects such as Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, and said the publication had not conveyed his views in a fair way.

In the original write-up of the interview, Morrissey was quoted as saying that Spacey had been “attacked unnecessarily” over accusations of sexual assault and also reportedly suggested that he would kill US President Donald Trump if given the opportunity.

Responding to his Facebook post, Der Spiegel published a new article which included audio of the conversation between Morrissey and the journalist who interviewed him.

“In a Facebook post, Morrissey doubted that the Spiegel had correctly reproduced his comments and observed that we had not yet published the recording of the conversation, as an indirect admission of guilt,” the article stated. “To counter this, we have decided to put the interview online, even if it is self-evident from our point of view that interviews published in Spiegel do not contain false or misleading citations.”

In the audio there is a moment where the interviewer makes clear to say Morrissey did not have to answer a question about politics if he did not want to, as she had been told to avoid the subject.

“If there was a button and you pressed it and he [Trump] drops dead, would you press it?” she asks him, after Morrissey says Donald Trump is a “danger to social security”.

“I would, for the safety of the human race,” Morrissey says in response to the question. “It's nothing to do with my personal opinion of his face, or his life, or his family. But in the interest of the human race, I would, yes. I think he's a terrible, terrible scourge.”

Morrissey's most controversial quotes Show all 29 1 /29 Morrissey's most controversial quotes Morrissey's most controversial quotes On racism “If you call someone racist in modern Britain you are telling them that you have run out of words. You are shutting the debate down and running off. The word is meaningless now. Everyone ultimately prefers their own race … does this make everyone racist?” NBCU/Getty Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Lady Gaga In an interview with Billboard, Morrissey calls Lady Gaga “nothing new” and says her style is “fraudulent, and the exact opposite of erotic.” He also refers to Madonna as “McDonna” and says Michael Bublé is “famous and meaningless”. Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On dance music: "It's the refuge for the mentally deficient. It's made by dull people for dull people." Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On London mayor Sadiq Khan "London is debased. The Mayor of London tells us about 'Neighborhood policin' — what is 'policin’? He tells us London is an 'amazin' city. What is 'amazin'? This is the Mayor of London! And he cannot talk properly!" Getty Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Madonna “Madonna reinforces everything absurd and offensive. Desperate womanhood. Madonna is closer to organised prostitution than anything else.” Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Beyonce: "The rhino is now more or less extinct, and it's not because of global warming or shrinking habitats. It's because of Beyoncé's handbags" Buda Mendes/Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On animal cruelty in China “You can’t help but feel that the Chinese people are a subspecies.” Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On royal family: "The arrogance of the British royals is staggering, absolutely staggering" Getty Morrissey's most controversial quotes On creativity: On being creative: “I'd rather produce art than become art.” Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Prince Charles: "I wish that Prince Charles had been shot. I think it would have made the world a more interesting place." Morrissey's most controversial quotes On sexuality: "Unfortunately, I am not homosexual... In technical fact, I am humasexual. I am attracted to humans. But, of course, not many." Getty Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Bob Geldof: "Bob Geldof is a nauseating character. Band Aid was the most self-righteous platform ever in the history of popular music." Getty Morrissey's most controversial quotes On growing old: “Age shouldn’t affect you. You’re either marvellous or you’re boring, regardless of your age.” Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On being alcoholic: “Life would be so colourful if only I had a drink problem.” GETTY IMAGES Morrissey's most controversial quotes On being sexy: “I think I must be, absolutely, a total sex object. In every sense of the word.” EPA Morrissey's most controversial quotes On music industry: “I lost myself to music at a very early age, and I remained there.” Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Taylor Swift: The maximum trimmings [at the Brits] divert your attention from the fact that Taylor Swift has nothing to do with Coventry or Wrexham. To pull off rank fraud in tellyland is not a difficult undertaking, especially if you have the entire population of Peru dancing around you as you mime your song." Provided by Shore Fire Media Morrissey's most controversial quotes On grooming: "I do maintain that if your hair is wrong, your entire life is wrong.” Rex Features Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Elton John: “He is pushing his face in all the time and telling us about his private life. Nobody's interested. He should just go away." AFP/Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On charisma: “I'm not very good at being dull." Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On musicians: “Artists aren't really people. I'm actually 40 per cent papier mache.” Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On love: On romance: “I do think it's possible to go through life and never fall in love, or find someone who loves you.” Getty Morrissey's most controversial quotes On failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: "The sorrow of the IRA Brighton bombing is that Thatcher escaped unscathed." Getty Images Morrissey's most controversial quotes On the music addiction: “Music is like a drug, but there are no rehabilitation centres.” Associated Press Morrissey's most controversial quotes On vanity: On vanity: “Well, I am an extremely beautiful person.” Rex Features Morrissey's most controversial quotes On death: "I have an unswayable obsession with death. If there was a magical pill that one could take that would retire you from the world, I would take it." Reuters Morrissey's most controversial quotes On Kate Middleton Morrissey links the suicide of a London nurse to the Duchess Kate Middleton. “There’s no blame placed at Kate Middleton, who was in the hospital for, as far as I can see, absolutely no reason . . . She feels no shame about the death of this woman. The arrogance of the British royals is staggering, absolutely staggering.” PA Morrissey's most controversial quotes On his legacy: “When they bury me in a church and chuck earth on my grave, I’d like the words ‘Well, at least he tried’ engraved on my tombstone.” Morrissey's most controversial quotes Mandatory Credit: Photo by Stills Press Agency/REX (108444p) The Smiths - bassist Andy Rourke and vocalist Morrissey. THE SMITHS - 1984 Rex

Around halfway through the interview the journalist asks him about the controversy surrounding sexual misconduct in Hollywood.

“There are extreme cases: rape is revolting, and any kind of physical attack is revolting, but we must keep it in perspective,” Morrissey says in the audio. “Some people are very clumsy when it comes to romance, and if they meet somebody they're very awkward, and they don't know how to do it really, and how to let somebody know, so it can sometimes seem aggressive or dangerous.”

“What do you think that they cut Kevin Spacey out of films now?” the journalist asks.

The full audio shows Morrissey saying: “I think it's absurd, because as far as I understand the situation, he [Spacey] was in a hotel room with a 14-year-old. Well, Kevin Spacey was 26, the boy was 14. You have to wonder where the boy's parents were. You have to assume that the boy had an inkling of what might possibly happen.

“I mean I don't know about you, but in my youth I was never in situations like that. Never. I was always aware of where things could go. If you are in somebody's bedroom, you have to be aware of where it could lead to or say 'why are we here? Why aren't we downstairs in the lobby?' or... so it doesn't quite ring true to me, and it does seem that he [Spacey] has been unnecessarily attacked.”

Shortly after he continued, in apparent reference to the accusations against Harvey Weinstein: “You also must wonder if... people know exactly what's happening, and they go along with it. But then when it's happened they find that they're either embarrassed and they didn't really like it, so then they reverse it and say: 'I was ambushed, I was taken by surprise, I was dragged into the room'.

“But if the incident had gone very very well, and they had really enjoyed it, and it had led to an incredible career, they wouldn't mention it, and I hate to be that cynical because I hate rape and I hate attack and I hate any sexual situation that is forced on a person against their will. But in many many situations you look at the circumstances and you think the person that is called a victim is merely disappointed.”