One would think leading an insurrection against the nation you serve would represent an all-time low for a president, but former president Donald Trump continues to stoop to new lows. This time, he defiled the memory of the first Black national security adviser a day after his untimely death of COVID-19 complications.
“Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday. “Hope that happens to me someday. He was a classic RINO, if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!”
This is coming from a man who did worse than sit on his hands: He denied the threat of a virus that went on to effect a nationwide shutdown and pandemic resulting in more than 700,000 American deaths. When he finally did recognize the coronavirus, it was to turn it into a weapon of racist hatred aimed at people of Asian descent. “By the way, it’s a disease, without question, has more names than any disease in history. I can name ‘kung flu,’” Trump said at a rally in July 2020. “I can name 19 different versions of names.”
As of late, he spends his time addressing lawsuits. On Monday, that meant more than four hours answering questions under oath. This deposition is in response to a lawsuit launched when “human rights activists of Mexican origin” protested Trump’s racist statements on immigration.
Trump’s full quote as part of a speech announcing his presidential campaign on June 16, 2015, was: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Of course, the racist rhetoric led to protests. One protester, Efrain Galicia, alleged in the lawsuit CNN reported on that Trump’s former head of security Keith Schiller hit Galicia in the head when he tried to block Schiller from stealing one of their cardboard signs reading “Trump: Make America Racist Again.”
Attorney Benjamin Dictor, who represents the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, told CNN, Trump’s testimony was less than surprising.” The President was exactly how you would expect him to be, he answered questions the way you would expect Mr. Trump to answer questions and conducted himself in a manner that you would expect Mr. Trump to conduct himself,” Dictor said.
It’s my exact sentiment regarding Trump’s statement of Powell. The former president said exactly what anyone who’s been paying attention would expect for him to say. He was disrespectful, narcissistic, and unapologetic.
He was Donald Trump.
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