It’s official: Donald Trump is jealous of a dead man. In, of all things, a fundraising email sent out to supporters Tuesday, the former president trashed Colin Powell, the first Black American to be secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the four-star general who led U.S. forces in the Gulf War, as a “classic RINO” who was “always… the first to attack other Republicans.” Trump’s sick eulogy went on to assail Powell because he “made big mistakes on Iraq.” Powell, 84, died Monday of COVID-19 complications as he battled Parkinson’s disease and a blood cancer that suppresses immune response. His legacy, many outlets have noted, was “stained” by his 2003 justification of invading Iraq to the UN Security Council, which he based on faulty claims of weapons of mass destruction.
Trump’s email, sent out to the “Save America” mailing list assembled by his political action committee, railed at the “Fake News Media” who covered Powell’s death “so beautifully.” Either bitterly or wistfully, Trump then added, “Hope that happens to me someday.” The former president and Powell were intense critics of one another, with Powell publicly lambasting Trump as a liar and “dangerous to our democracy.” Above a button to donate to the “Save America” campaign, Trump concluded his email with the best wishes he could apparently muster: “But anyway, may he rest in peace!”
