Colin Powell Says ‘I Can No Longer Call Myself a Fellow Republican’

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday he no longer considers himself a Republican following Wednesday’s Capitol riot. In an interview with CNN correspondent Fareed Zakaria, Powell distanced himself from the Republican party when asked if he believes that his fellow Republicans who refused to condemn President Donald Trump realize they “encouraged, at least, this wildness to grow and grow.”

Powell responded that “they did, and that’s why I can no longer call myself a Republican.” He said at the moment, he is “not a fellow of anything” and is instead “just a citizen who has voted Republican, voted Democrat throughout my entire career.” Powell added that “right now I’m just watching my country and not concerned with parties.”

Supporters of the president stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday following months of the president and his allies raising allegations of a rigged election, evidence of which did not exist. At a rally just prior to the violent riot, Trump again made those claims, telling the gathered crowd the election was “stolen” and encouraging them to “stop the steal. We’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, and we’re going to the Capitol.” Powell, who served as secretary of state for George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005 and in the past has criticized Republicans for not condemning Trump, said Sunday Republicans put political interests ahead of the interests of Americans by failing to speak out against the president.

“I do not know how he was able to attract all of these people. They should have known better, but they were so taken by their political standing and how none of them wanted to put themselves at political risk,” he said. “They would not stand up and tell the truth or stand up and criticize him, or criticize others…we need people who will speak the truth, who remember that they are here for our fellow citizens.”

In the wake of the Wednesday riot, House Democrats are moving toward an impeachment resolution unless Vice President Mike Pence first invokes the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office. Powell said he would back a Senate conviction if he were serving in the chamber, stating he “would have done it last time if I had the opportunity” in reference to the effort to remove Trump from office following the Ukraine scandal. Last week, Powell made similar remarks when he told NBC’s Today he wished Trump “would just do what [former President] Nixon did, and that’s step down.”