WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (UPI) — The man who served as former President George W. Bush’s first secretary of state says he’ll cross the aisle, again, to vote for Hillary Clinton.
Colin Powell said he will pledge his vote to the Democratic nominee instead ofDonald Trump while speaking Tuesday afternoon at a trade event on Long Island, N.Y.
“I am voting for Hillary Clinton,” he said, according to The New York Times, citing her skills as a political leader and her government experience.
“He also elaborated on several reasons why he felt that Donald Trump was not the right candidate,” earwitness Paule Pachter said. “He spoke about his inexperience, he spoke about the messages that he’s sending out every day to his supporters, which really paints our country in a negative light across the globe with all our allies.”
NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell also confirmed Powell’s endorsement of Clinton, who took over his office in the State Department four years after he departed.
Powell has served under three Republican presidents (Bush, George H. W. Bush andRonald Reagan) and briefly under one Democratic commander in-chief (Bill Clinton).
Powell’s endorsement of Clinton, however, shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. He voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.