Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell says Trump has 'drifted away from' the Constitution, announces he will vote for Biden

• Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said the US was at a "turning point" after President Donald Trump has "drifted away from" the Constitution.
• Powell condemned Trump's past actions and near-constant "lies" that he said make it clear he "could not possibly vote for this individual."
• Powell, a retired four-star US Army general, is one in scores of GOP and military leaders who have openly condemned Trump in recent weeks ahead of the 2020 election in the wake of his response to the George Floyd protests.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell condemned President Donald Trump's time in office and said he would be voting for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Powell appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday after two weeks of protests drew peaceful demonstrators out in record numbers to reject police brutality in cities across the US.

The protests come after Trump's three years in office have pushed the country to a "turning point," Powell told host Jake Tapper.

"We have a Constitution and we have to follow that Constitution and the president has drifted away from it," Powell said.

Powell was speaking two days after more than 280 former national security officials including generals and diplomats signed on to an open letter that criticized Trump's comments about peaceful protesters and deploying of US military assets to demonstrations in US cities.

"Misuse of the military for political purposes would weaken the fabric of our democracy, denigrate those who serve in uniform to protect and defend the Constitution, and undermine our nation's strength abroad," the letter read. "There is no role for the US military in dealing with American citizens exercising their constitutional right to free speech, however uncomfortable that speech may be for some."

Powell praised the letter's signers as "willing to take the risk of speaking honesty and speaking truth to those who are not speaking truth."

Trump's response to the protesters is the latest in his alarming public presence that took the stage for the 2016 election, Powell said.

"When I heard some of the things he was saying, it was clear I could not possibly vote for this individual," Powell told Tapper, pointing to Trump's persistent support for the "birther" conspiracy movement.

Powell also said he was "deeply troubled" by the way Trump openly and often insulted people like former Arizona Sen. John McCain, immigrants, and "anybody who dared to speak against him."

"That is dangerous for our democracy, it's dangerous for our country," Powell said. "I think what we're seeing now, the most massive protest movement I have seen in my life, the country is getting wise to this and we're not going to put up with it anymore."

Powell, a retired four-star US Army general who became the first African-American Secretary of State under Republican President George W. Bush, said the country was at a "turning point."

"He lies about things and he gets away with it because people won't hold him accountable," Powell said, pointing to Congress and Americans who will be voting in this year's election.

"I certainly cannot, in any way, support President Trump this year," Powell said.

"I'm very close with Joe Biden on a social matter and a political matter," Powell said. "I've worked with him for 35, 40 years and he is now the candidate and I will be voting for him."

Powell is the latest Republican and military figure to air his discontent with Trump ahead of the election after the president's handling of protests over George Floyd's death and police brutality.

Trump appeared to push back on Powell's comments, writing on Twitter Sunday morning to dismiss "highly overrated" Powell and boast about some of his accomplishments.

"Somebody please tell highly overrated Colin Powell that I will have gotten almost 300 Federal Judges approved (a record), Two Great Supreme Court Justices, rebuilt our once depleted Military, Choice for Vets, Biggest Ever Tax & Regulation Cuts, Saved Healthcare & 2A, & much more!" Trump wrote.