Leaked emails show Colin Powell called Donald Trump 'a national disgrace'


Several personal emails sent by former Secretary of State Colin Powell were leaked on Tuesday, and reveal his thoughts on "national disgrace" and "international pariah" Donald Trump.
The emails were obtained by DCLeaks.com, a website that reportedly has ties to Russian intelligence services, and seen by BuzzFeed. In a July 17, 2016, email to journalist Emily Miller, a former aide, Powell made his remarks about Trump being a "disgrace" and "pariah," adding he was in the "process of destroying himself" and there was "no need for Dems to attack him." On August 21, he wrote to Miller that the "whole birther movement was racist. That's what the 99 percent believe. When Trump couldn't keep that up he said he also wanted to see if the certificate noted that he was a Muslim. … As I have said before, 'What if he was?' Muslims are born as Americans everyday."
In a December email to CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Powell said the press is Trump's "oxygen," and they are "playing his game," BuzzFeed reports. He also said he doesn't like talking about Trump publicly because "to go on and call him an idiot just emboldens him." Powell told BuzzFeed he had "no further comment. I'm not denying it."
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate change
In the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling