WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday backed Democratic governmental candidate Joe Biden, joining a growing chorus of Republicans and military leaders criticizing Republican President Donald Trump amidst across the country demonstrations.
Powell, a Republican politician who led the U.S. military throughout the 1991 Gulf War in Iraq under President George H.W. Bush and later headed the State Department under President George W. Bush, said Trump “lies all the time,” has “wandered away” from the U.S. Constitution and poses a risk to American democracy.
” I can not in any method support President Trump this year,” Powell, who did not choose the Republican president in 2016, informed CNN. Trump responded by calling Powell a “genuine stiff” on Twitter.
The criticism comes as the nation deals with a trio of crises: widespread demonstrations over police violence against black men and women, the coronavirus pandemic and a sharp economic slump. It is uncommon for Republican politicians to slam Trump directly, and more so for members of the military establishment, who typically avoid of politics.
Trump’s previous defense secretary, retired General Ji