This file photo taken on March 23, 2017 shows US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson prior to a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir at the State Department in Washington, DC. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP)
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson quietly visited the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Saturday afternoon with his wife and two other family members, The Washington Post reported.
According to The Post, Tillerson and his family spent several hours touring the permanent exhibit of the museum in the nation’s capital.
Tillerson’s visit came after a tumultuous week for the White House, in which Press Secretary Sean Spicer drew intense criticism for falsely claiming Adolf Hitler never used chemical weapons.
The president’s press spokesman also referred to concentration camps as “Holocaust centers.”
White House Spokesman Sean Spicer speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, April 3, 2017. (AFP/Nicholas Kamm)
US President Donald Trump’s young administration has managed to create controversy over Holocaust-related matters more than once.
The White House’s statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in January, drew the ire of many because it made no mention of Jews or anti-Semitism.
Several of Trump’s deputies went on to defend the statement amidst outrage from Jewish groups and others.
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Tillerson’s tour was on the final days of Passover, when Jews worldwide retell the story of the ancient Jews’ exodus from Egypt.
Eric Cortellessa contributed to this report.
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