Former Bush administration officials Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice joined fellow White House alums James Mattis, Mike Mullen and John Allen in criticizing President Trump’s aggressive response to protesters in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Last week, three former White House officials — which so far include Trump’s former Defense Secretary James Mattis as well as Obama administration alums Adm. Mike Mullen and Gen. John Allen — issued scathing rebukes against the President’s call for the National Guard to “dominate” protesters amid nationwide unrest.
Here’s what the former Bush administration secretaries of state had to say:
Colin Powell
On Sunday morning, Powell told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he was “very happy” with the former generals’ criticism against Trump because “we have a Constitution” that the President has “drifted away from.”
Powell went on to say that he “could not possibly” vote for Trump due to being “deeply troubled” by his remarks stoking the Obama “birther” conspiracy and insulting Gold Star mothers, John McCain, immigrants and “anybody who dared to speak against him.”
“And that is dangerous for our democracy. It is dangerous for our country,” Powell said. “And I think what we’re seeing now, the most massive protest movement I have ever seen in my life, I think this suggests that the country is getting wise to this, and we’re not going to put up with it anymore.”
Powell went on to add that “you have to agree” with Mattis’ criticism of Trump because “he is insulting us throughout the world. ”
Shortly after Powell’s interview on CNN aired, Trump took to Twitter to slam him for announcing that he plans to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden in November.
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
Somebody please tell highly overrated Colin Powell that I will have gotten almost 300 Federal Judges approved (a record), Two Great Supreme Court Justices, rebuilt our once depleted Military, Choice for Vets, Biggest Ever Tax & Regulation Cuts, Saved Healthcare & 2A, & much more!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2020
Watch Powell’s remarks below:
Colin Powell: "You have to agree" with Mattis' criticism of Trump. pic.twitter.com/HGHV5c9XP0
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) June 7, 2020
Condoleezza Rice
Rice shared a similar sentiment on CBS, saying that she has “enormous respect” for Mattis and that he “spoke to something that he needed to speak to.”
Rice went on to say that she’s “really grateful” for the protesters “who are going out now and saying, no, that is not acceptable,” before being asked whether she agrees with the President’s call for governors to “dominate” protesters by activating the National Guard.
Rice responded that she “would absolutely advise against it, particularly at this time.” She later argued that “our military isn’t trained to do this” because it is “trained for the battlefield” and that “this isn’t a battlefield in that sense.”
Watch Rice’s remarks below:
Condoleezza Rice: "Our military is trained for the battlefield. And this isn't a battlefield in that sense." pic.twitter.com/Z12p08UzgI
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) June 7, 2020
