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Powell adds to the list of former military generals who have criticized Trump’s threats to use military troops to break up protests over the death of George Floyd.
“We have a Constitution,” Powell told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “And we have to follow that Constitution. And the president has drifted away from it. I’m so proud of what these generals and admirals have done, and others have done.”
The former secretary of state called the president a “liar” who has not been “an effective president.”
“He lies. He lies about things. And he gets away with it because people will not hold him accountable,” Powell said. “He lies all the time,” he added.
Powell, who publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, threw his support behind Joe Biden, who clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, saying that he will vote for him in the fall.
“I’m very close to Joe Biden in a social matter and in a political matter,” Powell said. “I’ve worked with him for 35, 40 years. And he is now the candidate and I will be voting for him.”
President Trump fired back at Colin Thursday morning, calling him out for his role in saying that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that led to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 while he was secretary of state.
“Colin Powell, a real stiff who was very responsible for getting us into the disastrous Middle East Wars, just announced that he will be voting for another stiff, Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump tweeted.
Colin Powell, a real stiff who was very responsible for getting us into the disastrous Middle East Wars, just announced he will be voting for another stiff, Sleepy Joe Biden. Didn’t Powell say that Iraq had “weapons of mass destruction?” They didn’t, but off we went to WAR!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2020
“Didn’t Powell say that Iraq had ‘weapons of mass destruction?’ They didn’t, but off we went to WAR!” the president concluded.