Washington Commanders player says it was ‘dumb’ to tweet he would invite Hitler to dinner

Washington Commanders player Jonathan Allen apologized Wednesday for saying that he would invite Adolf Hitler to a hypothetical dinner.

“Early I tweeted something that probably hurt people and I apologize about what I said,” Allen tweeted. “I didn’t express properly what I was trying to say and I realize it was dumb!” 

The defensive tackle’s comments came after he invited his Twitter followers to ask him anything. When someone asked Allen to name three people, dead or alive, with whom he would want to have dinner, he chose his grandfather, Michael Jackson and Hitler, The Washington Post reported.

Allen has since deleted his response. 

When the user asked why Hitler, he said, “He’s a military genius and I love military tactics,” the Post reported. “But honestly I would want to pick his brain as to why he did what he did. I’m also assuming that the people I’ve chosen have to answer all my questions honestly.” 

After people started voicing their opposition to Allen’s answer, he initially defended it, arguing that he wasn’t giving Hitler “props” but that he was sharing his reasoning for why he would want to have a conversation with him.

“He’s easily one [of] if not the most evil persons [sic] to have ever lived but this was a hypothetical question,” Allen said, according to the Post.