Former U.S. Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright both questioned the dramatic negative effects the Trump administration has had on the United States and its people.
Speaking with CNN's Fareed Zakaria on October 7, Powell criticized Trump's various attacks on the news media, close U.S. allies and even the country's own citizens. Powell lamented that his three favorite words in the U.S. Constitution had long been "We the people," but Trump's short time in office has morphed the famous founding fathers' line into "me the president."
"You see things that should not be happening," Powell told Zakaria. "How can a president of the United States get up and say that the media is the enemy of Americans? Hasn't he read the First Amendment? You are not supposed to like everything the press says, or what anyone says…that's why we have a First Amendment, to protect that kind of speech."
Powell reiterated why he became a voice against a Trump presidency during the 2016 campaign.
"I hope the president can come to the realization that he should really stop insulting people," Powell continued. "I used this two years ago when I said I could not vote for him in the 2016 election. Why? He insulted everybody. He insulted African-Americans, he insulted women, he insulted immigrants. He insulted our best friends around the world—all of his fellow candidates up on the stage during the debates. I don't think that's what should be coming out of a president of the United States. But I don't see anything that's changed in the last two years."
Powell asked Americans and Congress to "take a hard look at yourself" to realize what "you're doing to keep these forces in check." He ridiculed not just what the Trump administration was doing but also what others "are not doing as the United States of America. What are we doing? We're walking away from agreements, we're walking away from alliances."
"The world is watching," Powell added. "They cannot believe we're doing things like separating mothers and children who are trying to get across the border from south of our border. They can't believe we're making such an effort to cease immigration coming into the country. It's what's kept us alive!"
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Benjamin Fearnow is a reporter based out of Newsweek's New York City offices. He was previously at CBS and Mediaite ... Read more
