Donald Trump mocks the late Colin Powell

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Donald Trump (archive image)

Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP

Only good things about the dead: Donald Trump doesn't seem to have really internalized this maxim.

He had already proven this after the death of his internal party critic John McCain in 2018.

Now he has spoken about Colin Powell - and the statements were tough.

The former Secretary of State and retired four-star General Powell had died at the age of 84 from complications as a result of a corona infection, his family announced on Monday. He was therefore vaccinated against the virus, but suffered from previous illnesses. During his lifetime, the Republican had repeatedly sharply criticized Trump and spoke out in favor of his Democratic challenger Joe Biden before the 2020 election.

For Trump, Powell's death was now apparently a welcome opportunity to verbally follow suit.

"Nice to see that Colin Powell, who made so many mistakes in Iraq and with so-called weapons of mass destruction, is now treated so nicely by the fake news media in his death," the former president wrote in a statement.

And further: »I hope they will do the same to me at some point.

He was a classic RINO (Republican In Name Only) who liked to attack other Republicans.

He made a lot of mistakes.

Anyway, may he rest in peace. "

These drastic statements are very different from those of other statesmen.

US President Biden praised Powell as a "reliable confidante in good and difficult times."

He and First Lady Jill Biden were "deeply saddened by the demise of our dear friend and a patriot of unsurpassed honor and dignity," said a statement from the President distributed by the White House.

"He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier in Vietnam," said ex-Republican President George W. Bush

and added that Powell was "highly respected at home and abroad."

The liberal-minded ex-military was under Bush from 2001 to 2005 as the first African American in history to be the US Secretary of State.

Flags in the country at half mast

Powell is known, among other things, for a controversial appearance before the United Nations Security Council in 2003, where he presented alleged evidence of weapons of mass destruction, which Iraq did not have at all, to justify a US invasion of Iraq.

Powell himself later described the appearance as an "eyesore" on his résumé.

Trump alluded to this in his statement.

Bush's successor, Barack Obama, had also commented on the death of the former minister: “Colin Powell was an exemplary soldier and an exemplary patriot.

He was at the center of one of the decisive events of our time. "

By order of President Biden, the flags in the United States will be hoisted at half-mast until Friday.

The decree applies to the flags on the White House, on all public buildings and military facilities in the country, as well as on US embassies and consulates around the world.

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