The Republican Party in Michigan put its foot squarely in it recently when GOP officials used social media to compare the Holocaust to gun safety measures then under consideration in the State Legislature.

The social media posts, shared on the state party’s official Facebook and Twitter accounts, wrongly claimed that Democrats leading the Legislature are trying to disarm Michigan gun owners, the Associated Press reported.

A photo accompanying the message appears to match an image stored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, showing rings confiscated from Jewish prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp, said AP.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is Jewish, wrote on Twitter in response: “Comparing gun safety measures to the mass extermination of 6 million people is hateful and ignorant, and it comes from party leaders who are out of ideas and catering to the fringe of the fringe.”

AP noted that Democrats and Republicans together swiftly condemned the posts and called for them to be taken down. Matt Brooks, chief executive of the Republican Jewish Coalition, responded to the Twitter post, saying it “is absolutely inappropriate and offensive and should be taken down immediately.”

The recently-elected Michigan GOP chairwoman, Kristina Karamo, wasn’t backing down, however, writing on Twitter that the state party “stands by our statement” and added that the Democratic party “currently fights to murder unborn children” and is attempting to “disarm us.”

This one had a lot of people scratching their heads and wondering who is in charge of the Republican Party’s social media platforms — including us.

The great evil that was the Holocaust must never be used in such a manner — not ever.

It was a stupid, insensitive mistake that someone should be held accountable for.