The New York Daily News reports:
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer declared unequivocally that Adolf Hitler didn’t use chemical weapons during World War II on Tuesday, triggering a firestorm as people pointed out Nazis’ use of gas to kill Jews and others during the Holocaust.
“We didn’t use chemical weapons in WWII. We had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” Spicer declared as he attacked Russia for backing Bashar Assad’s brutal regime in Syria.
He dug himself deeper when offered a chance to clarify a few minutes later. “When you come to sarin gas, he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing,” he said to shock in the White House briefing room. Hitler infamously used hydrogen cyanide known as Zyklon B at Nazi death camps targeting Jewish and other people.
Spicer on Hitler: “He brought them into the Holocaust centers” What’s a Holocaust center? Jews were put in concentration camps, gas chambers pic.twitter.com/0OGQf0V1yh
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) April 11, 2017
I hope @PressSec takes time to visit @HolocaustMuseum. It's a few blocks away. https://t.co/24fNoMUyS8
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) April 11, 2017
Spicer says that "even Hitler" did not use chemical weapons, apparently forgetting gas chambers.
— Alan Rappeport (@arappeport) April 11, 2017
"Even Hitler didn't have a private email server." -Sean Spicer, probably.
— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) April 11, 2017
Sean Spicer just said Assad is worse than Hitler because Hitler "didn't use chemical weapons."
Also, Happy Passover from the White House.
— Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) April 11, 2017
HR: so, this job requires effective public speaking skills.
SPICER: i'm even better than Hitler at public speaking— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) April 11, 2017
"Sean Spicer tries to clarify Hitler remark." If your remark about Hitler needs clarifying, you, uh, probably shouldn't have said it.
— CAFE (@cafedotcom) April 11, 2017
UNITED: We are the worst people in the world at PR.
SEAN SPICER (Defending Hitler on Passover): Hold my beer.
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) April 11, 2017
"Adolf Hitler is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more."
-Sean Spicer, probably.
— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) April 11, 2017