Former Secretary of State Colin Powell Dies at 84 of Covid-19

Colin Powell has died at the age of 84 due to complications from Covid-19, his family announced Monday. Powell was a historical figure in American politics and the military, as the first African-American to serve as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and later the first to serve as secretary of state.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Powell’s family said that the four-star general was fully vaccinated:

General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19. He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment. We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American.
The Powell Family

Powell played a vital role in the Iraq War when, as Secretary of State, he presented to the United Nations evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, the pretext for an allied invasion following the attacks of 9/11, even though the terrorists responsible for 9/11 had nothing to do with Iraq.

A Republican who served both military and the executive branch with honor, Powell became a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, opting to speak out against him instead of staying quiet like many colleagues who served in the Bush administration. Powell even spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on behalf of Joe Biden.

News of Powell’s passing was not necessarily a surprise, as evidenced by a CNN memorial package that was cut and run just moments after news of his passing broke. Wolf Blitzer voiced the memorial report, which you can watch above via CNN.

Correction: This post has been updated to note that Colin Powell served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush, not President George W. Bush.