Congressman Apologizes For Comparing Obama To Hitler
"I need to first apologize to all those offended by my tweet. It was not my intention to trivialize the Holocaust nor to compare the President to Adolf Hitler," Weber said in a statement.
On Monday night, Weber criticized Obama for not going to Paris' anti-terrorism rally over the weekend. Many other world leaders and millions of French people attended the demonstrations, which were protesting last week's attack against the headquarters of the satire magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris.
The White House said it made a mistake by not sending a high-profile US representative to the march, but Weber, a conservative stalwart, appeared to be unsatisfied with the admission. He argued on Twitter that Hitler was much more eager to visit Paris after invading France during World War II than Obama was following the magazine attack.
"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 wrote.
In his subsequent apology, Weber said he has since learned using Hitler's name was offensive to Holocaust survivors and others.
"The mention of Hitler was meant to represent the face of evil that still exists in the world today. 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," he said. "The terrorist attacks in Paris should remind us of the evil that still exists. Hitler was the face of evil, perpetrating genocide against six million Jews and millions of other victims."
Weber went on to call for the world to stand up to all forms of extremism.
"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," he said. "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."