The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect called on President Donald Trump to fire Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, for what the center is calling “engaging in Holocaust denial” during his press briefing on Tuesday.
While discussing Syrian President Bashar Assad, Spicer brought up former German leader Adolf Hitler.
“We didn’t use chemical weapons in World War II. You know, you had a — someone as despicable as Hitler who didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” Spicer said.
[Hitler ‘didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,’ Spicer says. Wrong.]
He attempted to clarify his remarks at the podium.
“He was not using gas on his own people in the same way Assad was,” Spicer said.
He later clarified after the briefing.
“In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust. I was trying to draw a distinction of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on population centers. Any attack on innocent people is reprehensible and inexcusable,” Spicer said in a statement released by the White House.
Spicer appeared on CNN after 6 p.m. to apologize for his comments, calling them a “mistake,” “insensitive” and “wrong.”
“It was my blunder as you put it correctly,” Spicer said. “... I needed to make sure I clarified.”
Said Spicer: “When you make a mistake, you own it.”