If there's a tougher job than public relations at United Airlines these days, it has to be White House press secretary. Sean Spicer each day confronts an overwhelmingly hostile army of reporters, some of whom have been labeled "enemies of the people" by a president who often speaks without having all the facts.

Yet, even accounting for the difficulties of the post, Spicer has performed poorly, dispensing inaccurate information and making boneheaded pronouncements. This is not good in a position that, by dint of the power the president wields, commands attention around the world.

Recently, of course, Spicer fell flat on his face. Trying to make a point about how evil Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad is, Spicer argued that chemical weapons were not used during World War II. "You know, you had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," he said. "So you have to, if you are Russia, ask yourself: Is this a country and a regime that you want to align yourself with?"

As legions of critics quickly pointed out, Hitler did in fact use poison gas to kill large numbers of Jews held in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Even if he did not deploy such weapons in combat, it was a bad comparison — something Spicer acknowledged last week.

"There's no other way to say it. Got into a topic that I shouldn't have, and I screwed up," he said in a TV interview. "To make a gaffe like this is inexcusable and reprehensible." He said he felt especially bad because Jews were celebrating Passover.

His apology was welcome. But Trump would do the country a favor by finding a more polished press secretary, letting Spicer find work elsewhere. There may be a position opening up at United.

REPRINTED FROM THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS