--- title: Sean Spicer Apologizes for Hitler-Chemical Weapons Comment description: Sean Spicer apologized for the remarks he made Tuesday in which he said that Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons" canonical: https://time.com/4735540/sean-spicer-hitler-chemical-weapons-apology/ author: Aric Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-11T22:53:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:27.217Z article:section: Politics og:title: Sean Spicer Apologizes for Saying Hitler Never Used Chemical Weapons og:description: "There is no comparison," the press secretary said og:url: https://time.com/4735540/sean-spicer-hitler-chemical-weapons-apology/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4dd1181bd924c47b/6988c25ca988ca7aa06bbae7/sean-spicer-transcript.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: sean-spicer-transcript og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Sean Spicer Apologizes for Saying Hitler Never Used Chemical Weapons twitter:description: "There is no comparison," the press secretary said twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4dd1181bd924c47b/6988c25ca988ca7aa06bbae7/sean-spicer-transcript.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Sean Spicer Apologizes for Saying Hitler Never Used 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=dfe1733f-23b1-4d31-aa33-4ce8186faf23&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._ by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Apr 11, 2017 10:53 PM UTC  White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes reporters' questions during the daily press briefing at the White House March 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes reporters' questions during the daily press briefing at the White House March 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla—2017 Getty Images by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Apr 11, 2017 10:53 PM UTC White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer apologized for the [remarks he made Tuesday](http://time.com/4735224/sean-spicer-hitler-chemical-weapons-transcript/) in which he criticized Syrian President [Bashar al-Assad](http://time.com/4730822/syria-airstrike-assad-retaliation/) by saying that Hitler “didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” despite the Nazi dictator’s use of gas chambers to kill millions of Jews during the Holocaust. “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, and frankly I mistakenly used an inappropriate and insensitive reference to the Holocaust for which frankly there is no comparison,” Spicer said later Tuesday in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “For that I apologize, it was a mistake to do that,” Spicer added. > [](https://twitter.com/CNNSitRoom/status/851921506632318976) Spicer’s initial comments prompted [widespread backlash on social media](https://twitter.com/i/moments/851877751565025280), with users questioning his comparison and use of the phrase “Holocaust centers” to describe death and concentration camps. Spicer’s remarks came during [Passover](http://time.com/4725345/passover-1947-rare-video/) — the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday in the United States. ## Transcript We didn't use chemical weapons in World War II. You had someone who's despicable as Hitler, who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons. So you have to, if you're Russia, ask yourself, is this a country and a regime that you want to align yourself with? The visit is part of our effort to maintain direct lines of communication. With senior Russian officials. And to ensure that the United States' views on the situation in Syria, counterterrorism efforts, North Korea, and other matters are clearly conveyed. We're open to strategic cooperation with Russia when we can achieved a shared goal, such as defeating ISIS. 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