Sean Spicer Forced to Apologize for Saying Hitler Didn’t Gas His People

I Apologize to ‘Anyone Who Was Offended by Those Comments’ Spicer Says

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was forced to appear on CNN Tuesday evening to apologize for comments he made earlier today, which happens to be Passover, claiming that Hitler did not gas his own people. Spicer directed his apology to “anybody who, not just suffered in the Holocaust or is a descendent of anybody but, frankly, anyone who was offended by those comments.” 

Spicer told the White House press corps Tuesday afternoon that “someone as despicable as Hitler … didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” then claimed that Hitler brought Jews “into the Holocaust center” – as opposed to concentration camps and gas chambers – but he “was not using the gas on his own people in the same way that Assad is doing.”

Reporters gave Spicer several chances to rework his remarks, but each attempt seemed almost worse that the previous. 

“I was obviously trying to make a point about the heinous acts that Assad had made against his own people last week, using chemical weapons and gas,” Spicer told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Frankly, I mistakenly made an inappropriate and insensitive reference to the Holocaust, for which there is no comparison. And for that I apologize. It was a mistake to do that.”

“Did you not know there were gas chambers where Nazis slaughtered people?” Blizter was forced to ask. “Yes clearly I’m aware of that,” Spicer responded.

Blitzer schooled Spicer a few times, like here: “Bashar al-Assad. I know you’ve mispronounced his name a few times.”

While Blitzer lauded Spicer after his interview for his apology, others may see the apology differently.

Spicer apologized to anybody who, “not just suffered in the Holocaust but anyone who’s a descendent of anybody.” But he also pulled the typical, I apologize to “anyone who was offended by those comments” That’s not a genuine or heartfelt apology, nor does it reveal he grasps the magnitude of his error. There is a moral and a factual issue here. Intentionally or not, Spicer engaged in Holocaust denialism, so apologizing to “anyone who was offended by those comments” isn’t good enough. 

Perhaps worse, the Trump White House has done this, or things similar before.

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, President Donald Trump’s remarks did not mention the Jewish people. Trump’s hiring of white nationalist supporting Steve Bannon as his Chief White House Strategist remains alarming. Last year, before winning the White House, Trump refused to denounce former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, his racism, white supremacist groups in general, or the KKK. 

And in February, Trump told a reporter for a Jewish publication to “sit down,” while refusing to denounce anti-Semitic terrorism.

Trump’s son Donald Jr. also, has, made, offensive, remarks. 

UPDATE: 7:53 PM EDT –
Politico’s Alex Isenstadt reports Spicer called billionaire and major GOP donor Sheldon Adelson to apologize “if” he was offensive:

It’s unclear why Adelson deserved a personal apology.

 

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