Trump fires back at Colin Powell for saying he’d vote for Biden

President Trump hit back at retired Gen. Colin Powell after the former secretary of State said he would be voting for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. 

“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,” Trump tweeted Sunday.

“Didn’t Powell say that Iraq had ‘weapons of mass destruction?’ They didn’t, but off we went to WAR!,” the president added. 

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

Trump’s tweet came moments after Powell said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he would be voting for Biden.

“I certainly cannot in any way support President Trump this year,” he said. 

Powell served as secretary of State under former President George W. Bush and as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Clinton. 

Powell said he did not vote for Trump in 2016 and said the situation has “gotten worse.” 

He said he agreed with other high-profile current and former military officers who criticized Trump’s handling of the nationwide protests over police brutality that broke out after the killing of George Floyd. 

“We have a Constitution, and we have to follow that Constitution. And the president has drifted away from it,” Powell said. 

Powell’s condemnation followed a blistering statement released Wednesday by former Trump Defense Secretary James Mattis, who said Trump is the first president in his lifetime who is trying to divide Americans. 

A handful of Republican lawmakers have also said they agree with Mattis, including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who said she was “struggling” with whether to vote for Trump.

The president similarly went after Murkowski for her remarks, vowing to campaign against her when she is up for reelection in 2022.

“Get any candidate ready, good or bad, I don’t care, I’m endorsing. If you have a pulse, I’m with you!” he said.