Holocaust Memorial responds to controversy over Trump's omission of Jews in statement

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum released a statement Monday amid controversy over President Donald Trump's omission of Jews in his own comment on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators," the museum said.

The museum said that millions of "innocent civilians" were murdered by the Nazis, but "the elimination of Jews was central to Nazi policy."

"As Elie Wiesel said, 'Not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims.' ... An accurate understanding of this history is critical if we are to learn its lessons and honor its victims."

International Holocaust Remembrance Day took place on Friday.

Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, defended the administration's statement in a Monday press conference, saying that Trump "went out of his way to recognize the Holocaust."

Spicer also noted that the statement was written with "the help of an individual who is both Jewish and the decedent of Holocaust survivors," which may refer to White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.

The White House's statement did not mention Jews specifically, but rather the "victims, survivors, heroes of the Holocaust."

Here's the White House's statement:

And here's the Holocaust Memorial's full statement:

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