Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell has called Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a “national disgrace,” and criticized Democratic Hillary Clinton’s handling of the email issue.
The Republican retired four-star general’s comments were revealed in a hack on his personal emails. The emails were posted on DCLeaks.com, which has reportedly been tied to other recent high-profile hacks.
Staying quiet during the much of the election season, said Powell had “no further comment” but was “not denying it,”media reports said.
He also criticized Democrat Hillary Clinton’s “hubris” as Powell came down on the way she handled her private email crisis.
The diatribe against Trump was part of an email sent on 17 June to Emily Miller, a journalist and Powell’s former aide.
Trump, “is in the process of destroying himself, no need for the Democrats to attack him,” according to BuzzFeed News. “Paul Ryan is calibrating his position again,” Powell said of the speaker of the House who had only recently decided to endorse Trump at the time of the email.
Around 30,000 stolen Powell emails were given to DCLeaks.com by unnamed hackers, The Daily Caller reported. There is speculation among some computer experts and Democratic politicians that DCLeaks has ties to Russian intelligence services, according to The Wall Street Journal. There is concern that leaks from the site are intended to influence the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
In an Aug. 21 email, Powell told Miller, “the whole birther movement was racist,” according to BuzzFeed. “That’s what the 99% believe. When Trump couldn’t keep that up he said he also wanted to see if the certificate noted that he was a Muslim.”
According to reports, another email allegedly sent from Powell to Democratic adviser Vernon Jordan in May expressed frustration that the Clinton campaign was trying to equate his use of private email accounts during his tenure as secretary of State with her own use of a private email server. The Clinton campaign has repeatedly referred to Powell’s use of person email in defending the Democratic nominee.
Powell wrote that he told Clinton’s “minions repeatedly that they are making a mistake trying to drag me in, yet they still try. The media isn’t fooled and she is getting crucified,” according to BuzzFeed. “The differences are profound and they know it.”
