Germany to Spicer: Nazi analogies ‘lead to nothing good’

Greg Nash

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman is joining those calling out White House press secretary Sean Spicer for his comments on Hitler and chemical weapons, saying drawing comparisons to the Third Reich is never a wise idea.

“[It] only shows what is in any case the German government’s position — any comparison of current situations with Nazi crimes leads to nothing good,” Steffen Seibert said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

Spicer caused an uproar Tuesday when he said Hitler did not use chemical weapons during World War II, ignoring the Nazi government’s gassing of millions of Jews during the Holocaust.

{mosads}The press secretary’s gaffe occurred while he discussing Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is accused of using chemical weapons against his own people last week.

“We did not use chemical weapons in World War II,” he said.  “You had someone as despicable as Hitler who did not even sink to using chemical weapons.”

Spicer said Wednesday he had let President Trump down.

“Your job as a spokesperson is to help amplify the president’s actions and accomplishments,” he said during an event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

“When you’re distracting from that message of accomplishment, and your job is to be the exact opposite, on a professional level I think it’s disappointing because I think I’ve let the president down,” Spicer added.

“On both a personal level and a professional level, that will not go down as a very good day in my history.”

Tags Adolf Hitler Angela Merkel chemical weapons Germany Nazis Politics Sean Spicer

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Most Popular

Load more