Spicer said that even Hitler "didn't sink to using chemical weapons" during WWII.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday apologized for referring to a suspected sarin gas attack in Syria he said that even Hitler "didn't sink to using chemical weapons" during World War Two.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was among those accusing Spicer of "downplaying the horror of the Holocaust.".
"Sean Spicer must be fired, and the President must immediately disavow his spokesman’s statements," the official said in a statement.
Later on CNN, Spicer said that he "mistakenly used an inappropriate and insensitive reference," offering an unreserved apology.
"You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," Spicer said during a press briefing in response to questions about the implications of the deadly chemical attack last on the rebel-held village of Khan Sheikhun last week.
It was not the first time this week that Spicer has found himself in rhetorical difficulty over Syria. »