White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer castigated Russia's alliance with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday by saying that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons" during World War II.
"If you're Russia, ask yourself is this a country that and a regime that you want to align yourself with?" Spicer asked. " You have previously signed onto international agreements, rightfully acknowledging that the use of chemical weapons should be out of bounds by every country."
Spicer went on to say that it is "troubling" they would not stand by their own word.
"Russia put their name on the line, so it's not a question of how long that alliance has lasted, but at what point do they recognize that they are now getting on the wrong side of history in a really bad way, really quickly," Spicer said.
"Look at the countries that are standing with them: Iran, Syria, [and] North Korea," Spicer said. "This is not a team you want to be on."
Spicer received backlash on social media for his comparison to Hitler, including from Expedia board member Chelsea Clinton, who encouraged Spicer to go visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington.
I hope @PressSec takes time to visit @HolocaustMuseum. It's a few blocks away. https://t.co/24fNoMUyS8
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) April 11, 2017
After the outcry, the White House released a statement clarifying Spicer's remarks.
"In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust," Spicer said. "I was trying to draw a distinction of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on population centers. Any attack on innocent people is reprehensible and inexcusable."
Note: This article has been updated with the White House response.