PR expert weighs in on Spicer's Hitler gaffe and chemical weapons during Passover

(WJBK) - White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer is drawing heavy criticism after his insensitive comments comparing Adolf Hitler to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

It was said during Passover and just Monday Sean Spicer tweeted a picture of White House staff holding a Passover Seder. They were all smiles then -
but what a difference a day makes.

"Someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to the level of using chemical weapons," Spicer said.

Spicer on Syrian President Bashar al Assad, chemical weapons and Adolf Hitler - the latter according to Spicer, wasn't that bad. Right?

"He was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing," Spicer said. " ... What I'm saying is that Assad used them where he went into towns, dropped them down."

"All he needed to do was walk down the block from the White House to the Holocaust Museum to get some knowledge," said Michael Layne.

Layne is a public relations guru, is Jewish and weighed in on the comments.

"It's Passover so to offend people during the Jewish holiday it just shows lack of knowledge and insensitivity," Layne said. "I think his intentions were good, it just shows a lack of knowledge and insensitivity. I think his intentions were good. I think it’s important that America draw attention to the brutal carnage that is taking place in Syria now. But to make comparisons between Assad and Hitler is extremely inappropriate."

And now Jewish organizations and politicians alike are calling for Spicer to be fired. The White House spokesman sought to clarify his remarks but only further muddied the waters.

He later apologized saying "I frankly made an inappropriate and insensitive reference to the Holocaust, for which there is no comparison."

FOX 2: "Did that apology leave a lot to be desired?"

"I think so, I think as a spokesperson for the president his messaging needs to be clearly scripted," Layne said.

But if then if President Donald Trump can be elected after saying "(You can) grab women by the (blank)."

And the mayor of Michigan's third largest city Warren can stay in office after allegedly saying:

"You know blacks do look like chimpanzees. I was watching this black woman with her daughter and they look like two chimps."

FOX 2: "Can we now reasonably expect public figures to say the most offensive things with seeming impunity?"

"I sure as heck hope not," Layne said. "I think we've all been bouncing around with a lot of inappropriate speech. Words matter, words can start conflicts. Someone needs to bring civility back into the conversation."

Now aside from that apology earlier today we haven’t heard much from Spicer or resident for that matter.