Rep. Randy Weber is apologizing for a tweet that compared President Barack Obama’s absence at a Paris march to Adolf Hitler.
The Texas Republican said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that he hadn’t intended “to trivialize the Holocast nor to compare the President to Adolf Hitler.”
“The mention of Hitler was meant to represent the face of evil that still exists in the world today,” Weber said. “I now realize that the use of Hitler invokes pain and emotional trauma for those affected by the atrocities of the Holocaust and victims of anti-Semitism and hate.”
His apology comes the day after he invoked Hitler in blasting Obama for failing to join more than 40 world leaders and at least 1.5 million people at a Paris unity march Sunday, following the attack on the country’s Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper.
“Even Adolph Hitler thought it more important than Obama to get to Paris. (For all the wrong reasons.) Obama couldn’t do it for right reasons,” Weber tweeted, misspelling the German dictator’s first name.
Hitler visited Paris in 1940 after his German troops successfully invaded and occupied most of France.
“The terrorist attacks in Paris should remind us of the evil that still exists,” Weber said in his apology. “Hitler was the face of evil, perpetrating genocide against six million Jews and millions of other victims. Today, we are facing the evil of Islamic extremists who are attempting to instill fear and murdering the lives of innocent people from Paris to Nigeria to Jerusalem and all over the world. The President’s actions or lack thereof is my point of contention. Islamic extremists have shown they are not going away, and instead are hungry for more blood.
“After World War II, the world made a commitment to ‘Never Again’ allow terror free reign. As demonstrated by the Paris Peace Rally, we must all –Christians, Jews, Muslims, leaders around the world and those willing to fight for freedom — unite and stand strong together against radical extremism in any form.”
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest conceded earlier on Monday that the White House “should have” sent someone higher profile to attend the Paris march, calling it a “mistake.”
Weber’s comment isn’t the first inflammatory remark the congressman has made about Obama.
Awaiting Obama’s appearance for the State of the Union last year, Weber accused Obama of lying, calling the President a “Socialistic dictator.”
Weber provoked more than a few reactions on Twitter on Monday, most of them mocking Weber’s analogy.
“.@TXRandy14 Ladies and gentlemen, the people running our country. #WeAreScrewed,” tweeted Andrew Challand.
“@TXRandy14 You might be an idiot,” tweeted Joe Remi.
And a perplexed @BrooklynJuggler tweeted: “So you’re saying…Obama is worse than Hitler?”
