Former President Donald Trump was one day late in sharing a tribute to former secretary of state Colin Powell, who died Monday at age 84. But when he did decide to share his thoughts, the ex-president didn't have anything kind to say at all, instead choosing to attack Powell in an emailed statement.
"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," Trump wrote Tuesday. The ex-commander in chief then went on to call Powell a "classic RINO, if even that" who was always the first to attack other Republicans.
"He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!" Trump concluded.
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Critics immediately rebuked Trump and his classless missive.
"No decent human being will defend Trump's malevolent, spiteful, narcissistic statement on Gen. Powell," wrote political scientist Larry Sabato.
"What a vile, disgusting 'statement,'" echoed Republican political strategist Ron Christie.
And perhaps MSNBC and Politico's Sam Stein captured the outrage and shock to Trump's statement best — because did we expect anything else?
On Monday, news of Powell's passing was otherwise met with tributes and praise from journalists, pundits, and high-profile government officials, who referred to Powell as "a family man and a friend," and "a statesman and trailblazer."
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