Colin Powell hopes 'period of mourning' Nancy Reagan will cool down Republicans

The former Secretary of State weighs in on GOP race.

(Image credit: Screenshot/CBS-News)

published 7 March 2016

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is hoping the death of Nancy Reagan will cool some heads, Politico reports. "This nastiness — they really have to stop it," Powell said on CBS This Morning in regards to the current Republican race. "I hope with Mrs. Reagan's death and the mourning period that we'll have for the next few days, it might influence these gentlemen to stop with the nastiness, get on with the issues."

Powell might be out of luck, however. Donald Trump's mourning period after the former first lady's passing on Sunday appears to have lasted for approximately one minute:

"I think the campaign has gone into the mud. I mean, the comments that they're making toward each other, the nastiness, it's running us into the ground. The foreigners of the world looking at this are distressed," Powell went on. "They really have to stop it." Watch Powell reflect on Nancy Reagan's legacy below. Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.