Colin Powell says Donald Trump has ‘drifted away’ from the US Constitution, he will vote for Joe Biden

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says Donald Trump has ‘drifted away’ from the US Constitution and that he’ll be voting for Joe Biden.

Colin Powell, who served as America’s top military officer and top diplomat under Republican presidents, says he will vote for Democrat Joe Biden.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell criticised President Trump for his administration’s response to protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, saying Mr Trump has “drifted away” from the US Constitution.

Mr Powell, a frequent critic of Mr Trump who also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he agreed with other former military officials who have spoken out against the president in recent days.

“We have a Constitution. And we have to follow that Constitution. And the president has drifted away from it,” Mr Powell, who is black, said on CNN’s State of the Union.

Mr Powell, a Republican who endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton over Mr Trump in 2016 and former President Obama in 2008 after serving in the George W. Bush administration, said he won’t support Mr Trump in the 2020 election.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says he will be voting for former Vice President Joe Biden. “I certainly cannot, in any way, support President Trump this year.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/jmiUfDPhl1

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) June 7, 2020

Mr Trump responded on Twitter: “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!”

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

In a September 11, 2002, interview on the Howard Stern show, Mr Trump voiced tentative support for an invasion of Iraq. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said slowly,” when asked whether he supported it. “I wish the first time it was done correctly.

Mr Powell said he couldn’t support Mr Trump “because I think he has not been an effective president”.

“He lies all the time; he began lying the day he was elected.”

The criticism is the latest from former top military leaders denouncing the president, whose words and actions, they say, have exacerbated recent racial tensions. Other military officials have also spoken on racism in recent days, including the Air Force Gen. Charles Brown, who is awaiting Senate confirmation to become the first black chief of staff for the Air Force.

In a Wednesday interview with The Atlantic, Mr Trump’s first defence secretary, Jim Mattis, criticised the president for belligerent language and for threatening to use military power to quell civil disturbances.

Mr Powell also criticised Mr Trump for his decision to remove thousands of American military forces from Germany, first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Friday. The decision, under consideration since last fall, drew concern from Republicans, Democrats and retired military officials.

“We have done things that have offended just about everybody in the world,” Mr Powell said, citing Mr Trump’s criticisms of institutions and organizations such as NATO, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations. “Our friends are distraught with us.”

With Gordon Lubold

The Wall Street Journal