Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized Tuesday for invoking Anne Frank's name when comparing COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the holocaust.
At a rally in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Kennedy said, "Even in Hitler Germany, you could, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did."
Kennedy Jr., who is considered a leader in the anti-vaccination movement, said he is sorry his remarks caused hurt.
"I apologize for my reference to Anne Frank, especially to families that suffered the Holocaust horrors," he said.
Kennedy Jr. faced widespread condemnation for his remark.
"Exploiting of the tragedy of people who suffered, were humiliated, tortured & murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany - including children like Anne Frank - in a debate about vaccines & limitations during global pandemic is a sad symptom of moral & intellectual decay," the official Auschwitz Memorial tweeted.
Despite the apology for his comments, Kennedy Jr., the son of former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, didn't back down from his anti-vaccination stance.
The Centers for Disease Control says the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective.
"Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S history," the CDC says. "CDC recommends you get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can."
