“[Colin Powell] was a classic RINO, if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!”
That’s former President Donald Trump, who seemed to be slightly bitter at former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who died of complications from COVID-19.
Trump, who delivered the remarks via email, diverged from many other notable politicians, who praised the former military leader. Here is his full remark:
“Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq, and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media. Hope that happens to me someday. He was a classic RINO, if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!”
Trump’s antipathy may stem from the 2016 election, when Powell publicly announced that he would be voting for Hillary Clinton, and not Trump. Just before his death, Powell blamed Trump for the Jan. 6 events at the Capitol, telling Bob Woodward, “He was going in there to overturn the government.”
He added, according to Woodward: “Trump refuses to acknowledge that he wasn’t reelected. He has people who go along with him on that.”
Trump’s statement was met with a mix between anger and sarcasm online:
Colin Powell joins former Sen. John McCain as Republicans who have been the subject of posthumous attacks from Trump.
This post was originally published on Market Watch
