Colin Powell says he's still a Republican because it 'annoys them'
For those who are curious, Colin Powell hasn't changed his party affiliation, despite disagreements with the Republican Party's increasingly powerful right wing. "Yes, I'm still a Republican," he said Wednesday at the Washington Ideas Forum. "I want to continue to be a Republican because it annoys them."
The former secretary of state may have been speaking in jest, but he's serious about the changes that have taken place inside the Republican Party. "I think the party has shifted much further right than where the country is, and it should be obvious to party leaders that they cannot keep saying and doing the things that they were doing and hope to be successful in national-level elections in the future, not just in 2016," he said.
One sensitive topic is immigration, and Powell said anti-immigrant rhetoric will do more harm than good. "I think most Republicans understand that we need immigration, we are an immigrant nation, [and that] it is in our best interest to do it," he said. "But there are pockets of intolerance within the Republican Party [and] the Republican Party had better figure out how to defeat that." He said he doesn't think Donald Trump, who has said he would deport every undocumented immigrant in the U.S. if elected president, represents the Republican position on immigration. Powell said he knows Trump "rather well," and if he were around him would say, "You know, Don, let's see what happens — let's tell all the immigrants working in Trump hotels to stay home tomorrow. Let's see what happens."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 23, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - loving thy neighbour, an HR matter, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Giuliani must hand assets to women he defamed
Speed Read The former New York City mayor must turn over his apartment and other possessions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Abercrombie ex-CEO charged with sex crimes
Speed Read Mike Jeffries ran the brand during its heyday from 1992 to 2014
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Giuliani must hand assets to women he defamed
Speed Read The former New York City mayor must turn over his apartment and other possessions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump aims to be a fascist dictator, John Kelly says
Speed Read The retired general was Trump's chief of staff from 2017 to 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Central Park 5 sue Trump for defamation
Speed Read The group was wrongfully convicted of raping a jogger in 1989
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Moldova backs joining EU in close vote marred by Russia
Speed Read The country's president was also pushed into a runoff election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump gets profane at Catholic charity dinner
Speed Read The Republican nominee mocked Kamala Harris, her husband, her running mate, President Joe Biden and other Democrats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Florida ordered to allow pro-abortion rights ads
Speed Read A federal judge in Florida ordered the DeSantis administration to stop threatening TV stations for running an abortion rights referendum ad
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Pentagon grants ousted LGBTQ vets full benefits
Speed Read The new ruling will apply to more than 820 LGBTQ veterans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published