Ever since taking on the role as White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer has often come under fire for controversial comments that he's made during the press briefings. After Spicer slipped up in his comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Adolf Hitler, social media users were quick to fire back.
Spicer's stumble
Not long after Donald Trump pulled off the upset in the 2016 presidential election and defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to become the new commander in chief, former spokesman for the Republican National Committee, Sean Spicer, was tapped as the new White House Press Secretary.
As has been the case with many of the president's advisers and staff, Spicer has made a habit out of making comments that quickly raise eyebrows. On Tuesday, Spicer addressed reporters in the White House and was asked about the current status of the conflict with Syria, and the president's recent missile strike on an airbase in the region. While doing his best to justify Trump's reaction, Spicer compared Assad to Hitler, and then went on to say that even the former German leader never used chemical weapons. Spicer was quickly fact-checked on the issue, and mocked across social media on April 11, including a lengthy tweet-storm by MSNBC host Joy Reid.
"Stop communicating with the outside world, Sean. You're not made for it," Joy Reid wrote on Twitter. In a series of follow-up tweets, Reid continued to unload on Sean Spicer. "Second try, as tone deaf as the first (though it must be awkward crafting WWII/Hitler statements surrounded by alt right "nationalists..." she added. "A parable for the Trump White House: when Bannon-who hired an actual Hungarian Nazi-is your chief strategist, you're gonna botch WWII stuff," Reid tweeted out with her third remark.
Additional backlash
As seen on Twitter on Tuesday, Sean Spicer's comments in regards to Hitler, Assad, and the use of chemical weapons were not received well. "You want to go with Hitler, you gotta know SOMEthing about Hitler.
Especially as it's suddenly so goddamned relevant, is all," reporter Tim Carmody wrote on his feed. "This reveals the Trump administration mindset: There are people--white and Christian--and there are others who are not really people," journalist Kim Masters tweeted out.
"Holocaust remembrance day: no mention of Jews in WH statement. Passover: Hitler didn't use chemical weapons. What will Rosh Hashanah bring?" Huffington Post reporter Jessica Schulberg wrote on her Twitter account. "Me, every day with Sean Spicer," Fox News contributor Meghan McCain posted, while attaching a GIF file from the movie "The Sandlot."
Spicer gone?
In response to the news, the Anne Frank Center is now calling for Sean Spicer to be fired over his insensitive remarks about the Jewish people during the election. "On Passover no less, Sean Spicer has engaged in Holocaust denial," the statement read, accusing the press secretary of the "most offensive form of fake news imaginable."