--- title: Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Sink to Using Chemical Weapons' description: Sean Spicer incorrectly claimed that Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons during World War II canonical: https://time.com/4734994/sean-spicer-syria-adolph-hitler-chemical-weapons-holocaust/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-11T18:43:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T09:35:45.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons' og:description: Hitler used poison gas to kill millions of people og:url: https://time.com/4734994/sean-spicer-syria-adolph-hitler-chemical-weapons-holocaust/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt066bfcea1f99cb8a/6988c251656a3f3724bcf800/sean-spicer-hitler.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Holds Daily Press Briefing In White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons' twitter:description: Hitler used poison gas to kill millions of people twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt066bfcea1f99cb8a/6988c251656a3f3724bcf800/sean-spicer-hitler.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 00:51 video:published: 2017-04-11 section: world topics: chemical weapons, World War II, Hitler, U.S.-Russia relations, Syria, counterterrorism, North Korea, ISIS, diplomacy, press conference genre: news, press briefing tones: combative, formal, critical emotions: contempt (medium), defiance (medium), resolve (low) sentiment: negative audience: news consumers, policy observers, international affairs readers, U.S. politics followers people: Sean Spicer, Adolf Hitler, Bashar al-Assad organizations: ISIS, United States government, Russian government content_suitability: war [00:00-00:08]; politics [00:00-00:51]; hate [00:03-00:08] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons' > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c1e294ed-2fe7-431b-8e06-c8ab527a41e5&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons' [Watch (HLS stream): Sean Spicer: Hitler 'Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/VrIbxAJ1.m3u8) (0:51)  _Published 2017-04-11. Sean Spicer incorrectly claimed that Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons during World War II while comparing him to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a Tuesday press conference._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Sean Spicer, speaking at a press conference, says Adolf Hitler did not sink to using chemical weapons, and uses that comparison to urge Russia to consider whether it wants to align with a regime that uses them. He then describes the purpose of a visit as maintaining direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and conveying U.S. views on Syria, counterterrorism, and North Korea. He closes by saying the U.S. is open to strategic cooperation with Russia on shared goals like defeating ISIS but will stand up for its interests and values when they disagree. ## Key points - Spicer states that the United States did not use chemical weapons in World War II. (00:00) - Spicer describes Hitler as despicable and claims he did not even sink to using chemical weapons. (00:03) - Spicer suggests Russia should ask whether the regime it is aligning with is one it wants to associate with. (00:08) - The visit is described as part of an effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials. (00:13) - The U.S. aims to clearly convey its views on Syria, counterterrorism, North Korea, and other matters to Russia. (00:21) - Spicer says the U.S. is open to strategic cooperation with Russia when a shared goal, such as defeating ISIS, can be achieved. (00:33) - Spicer says the U.S. will stand up for its interests and values when the two countries do not see eye to eye. (00:40) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:13] Spicer's Hitler and chemical weapons comparison. Spicer claims Hitler did not use chemical weapons and compares him to the regime in question. - [00:13 to 00:51] U.S. position on Russia engagement. Spicer explains the purpose of the visit and outlines the U.S. stance on cooperation and disagreement with Russia. ## Key quotes - [00:00] Sean Spicer: "We didn't use chemical weapons in World War II." - [00:03] Sean Spicer: "You had someone who's despicable as Hitler," - [00:08] Sean Spicer: "who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." - [00:13] Sean Spicer: "is this a country and a regime that you want to align yourself with?" - [00:33] Sean Spicer: "We're open to strategic cooperation with Russia when we can achieved a shared goal, such as defeating ISIS." ## Questions this video answers - Did the United States use chemical weapons in World War II? [00:00] - What does Spicer say about Hitler's use of chemical weapons? [00:03] - Why does Spicer suggest Russia should reconsider its alignment? [00:08] - What is the stated purpose of the visit to Russia? [00:13] - Under what conditions is the U.S. open to cooperating with Russia? [00:33] - What will the U.S. do when it does not see eye to eye with Russia? [00:40] ## Content suitability - war [00:00-00:08]: References to World War II and the use of chemical weapons. - politics [00:00-00:51]: Entire segment is a political press conference on U.S.-Russia relations and Syria. - hate [00:03-00:08]: Describes Hitler as despicable, in a comparison to a current regime. by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:35 AM UTCPublished: Apr 11, 2017 6:43 PM UTC Sean Spicer incorrectly claimed that Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons during World War II while comparing him to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a Tuesday press conference. by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:35 AM UTCPublished: Apr 11, 2017 6:43 PM UTC Sean Spicer incorrectly claimed that Adolf Hitler did not use [chemical weapons](http://time.com/4734440/vladimir-putin-rex-tillerson-russia-us/) during World War II while comparing him to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a Tuesday press conference. Asked about [Russian support for Assad](http://time.com/4734222/syria-airstrikes-tillerson-syria-assad-g7/), whose regime used chemical weapons against its citizens in an attack last week, Spicer pivoted to talking about Hitler. “You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” he said. Hitler’s Nazi regime used the deadly pesticide gas Zyklon B to kill concentration camp prisoners during the Holocaust. When offered a chance to clarify the comment, Spicer [said](https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/851861066535624706) Hitler “was not using the gas on his own people the same way Assad is doing.” Hitler did employ chemical weapons against the German people. Prior to Hitler’s rise, Jewish people were assimilated German citizens. Nazi Germany also targeted the handicapped, homosexuals and Catholics — people considered citizens of Germany — during the Holocaust. In a second clarification, Spicer said he was not “trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust.” “However, I was trying to draw a contrast of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on innocent people,” he said. A few minutes later, Spicer released yet another clarification, saying he was not trying to “lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust.” > [](https://twitter.com/BraddJaffy/status/851875534493581314) ## Transcript [00:00] We didn't use chemical weapons in World War II. You [00:03] had someone who's despicable as Hitler, [00:08] who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons. So [00:13] you have to, if you're Russia, ask yourself, is this a [00:16] country and a regime that you want to align yourself [00:19] with? The visit is part of our effort to maintain direct [00:21] lines of communication. With senior Russian officials. [00:24] And to ensure that the United States' views on the [00:27] situation in Syria, counterterrorism efforts, North [00:30] Korea, and other matters are clearly conveyed. We're [00:33] open to strategic cooperation with Russia when we can [00:36] achieved a shared goal, such as defeating ISIS. 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