Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell endorses Democrat Joe Biden for president

Former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell on Sunday endorsed Democratic former US Vice President Joe Biden, becoming the first major Republican to publicly back Donald Trump’s rival ahead of November’s election.

Powell, who led the US military during the 1991 Gulf War under Republican former President George H.W. Bush and later led the US Department of State under President George W. Bush, said Trump was “ineffective” and has only gotten worse since he took office.

“I cannot in any way support President Trump this year,” Powell, who did not vote for Trump in 2016, told CNN in an interview.

Asked if he would vote for Biden, he added: “I will be voting for him.”

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