President Donald Trump’s statement on Holocaust Memorial Day last week drew heavy fire from critics — including the Republican Jewish Coalition — because it failed to specifically mention the suffering of Jews under Nazi Germany.
Instead of apologizing for the oversight, however, the White House has doubled down and claimed that the statement didn’t make any mention of Jews because millions of other people died at the Nazis’ hands, not only Jews.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer defended the administration’s statement, and slammed critics for “nitpicking” it.
“The president went out of his way to recognize the Holocaust,” a frustrated Spicer said.
Additionally, Spicer said that Trump’s statement on the Holocaust was “widely praised,” despite the fact that several Jewish groups, ranging from the Anti-Defamation League to the aforementioned RJC, publicly criticized it.
The reaction to Spicer’s latest defense of the administration’s Holocaust statement was swift and fierce, and Jewish conservatives such as John Podhoretz found themselves profanely lashing out at the White House press secretary.
Keep digging, you asshole https://t.co/Sz3Uyba5nX
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 30, 2017
Some additional choice reactions to Spicer’s Holocaust comments follow below.
Never a good chyron pic.twitter.com/UxcOEhczcb
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) January 30, 2017
Daily Stormer was effusive, true. https://t.co/1T3Y6B10Z5 https://t.co/AYswXuNoom
— Greg Krieg (@GregJKrieg) January 30, 2017
Spicer: "The president went out of his way to recognize the Holocaust." Glad he could carve time away from Twitter for that one.
— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) January 30, 2017
Sean Spicer: It's 'pathetic' that people are picking on the omission of Jews in White House statement on Holocaust.
No Sean, you're pathetic— The Designing Chica (@designingchica) January 30, 2017
Spicer's defense of Trump's Holocaust statement is horrifying.
— Andrew Gatto (@AndrewGatto) January 30, 2017
Spicer: "The President went out of his way to recognize the Holocaust" – real sorry to put you out like that.
— Jay Hoffmann (@jay_hoffmann) January 30, 2017
Oh my god, Scott Spicer. Are you kidding? You're going to "All Lives Matter" the HOLOCAUST?
— Shellen Lubin (@SHLubin) January 30, 2017
He recognized the Holocaust in a way that it was unrecognizable as the actual holocaust.
— Dan (@danhklein) January 30, 2017
@SabrinaSiddiqui sorry he was inconvenienced from watching TV. It's our fault.
— Kessel Fun Run (@twelfth_monkey) January 30, 2017
Can't overstate how incompetent you have to be to fuck up Holocaust Remembrance Day.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) January 30, 2017
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