Thread by @ashtonpittman

NEW: Mississippians are offering tributes to former Secretary of State Colin Powell after he died of COVID-19.

Though vaccinated, Powell, 84, had multiple myeloma, which compromises the body’s ability to develop immune response to infections like COVID-19.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker described Powell as “the embodiment of the American dream.”

“The son of Jamaican immigrants, he went to college on an ROTC scholarship and rose to become one of the most consequential leaders of our time."
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A July study found that, among multiple myeloma patients vaccinated for COVID-19, just 45% "developed an adequate response, while 22% had a partial response."

At 84, Powell's condition and age greatly increased the danger of COVID-19 even with vaccination.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…

Secretary Colin Powell backed President Bush's push to go to war in Iraq based on false claims that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. His sterling reputation helped convince Congress and most Americans to back the war.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…

A year-and-a-half into the Iraq War, Powell told Congress in September 2004 that the intelligence was faulty and that it was unlikely Hussein ever had WMDs.
Two months later, Bush fired Powell just eight days after winning re-election.
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After being floated as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008, Powell surprised political observers when he endorsed Barack Obama’s campaign for president instead and rebuffed xenophobic GOP attacks against Obama.mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…

Colin Powell in 2008: “(Obama) is a Christian—he’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is (Muslim)? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America."
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Like Roger Wicker, Mississippi’s other U.S. senator, Cindy Hyde-Smith, offered condolences to the first Black secretary of state this morning, calling Powell “a lifelong servant to our nation” who “will be missed by many.”
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Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: “‘Remain calm. Be kind.’ One of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s 13 rules to live by. General Powell was a true public servant, a leader in diplomacy, and a family man at heart."
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National NAACP President Derrick Johnson, a Mississippian, also offered a tribute to Powell, who held the distinction as the highest ranking Black American in history until President Obama. Johnson called Powell “a good man who inspired many.”mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…

U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who represents Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District and chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, called Powell “the best example of a true patriot.”
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After Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud led to the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection in January, Powell renounced the GOP, saying Republicans "should've known better” than to support Trump, but none "wanted to put themselves at political risk.”mississippifreepress.org/16999/mississi…

All Mississippi Republicans in Congress, including Wicker and Hyde-Smith, supported Trump. All Mississippi Republicans voted against impeaching Trump both times, including for inciting an insurrection. Wicker and Hyde-Smith voted twice to acquit him.mississippifreepress.org/8161/amid-bipa…

On Jan. 6, all Mississippi Republicans in Congress except Sen. Roger Wicker voted for Trump's attempt at to hold onto power by overturning the election—even after he incited the Capitol insurrection.
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Wicker and Hyde-Smith voted against establishing an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks. All Mississippi House Republicans voted against the Jan. 6 congressional select committee led by Rep. Bennie Thompson.
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Mississippi Republican State Sen. Brice Wiggins offered a tribute to Secretary Colin Powell Powell today, calling him “a wonderful American, military hero” and “true leader.”

Wiggins was one of only a few vocally Trump-critical Republicans in Mississippi.
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“You know I’m not a fellow of anything right now,” Powell said after the Jan. 6 insurrection. “I’m just a citizen who has voted Republican, voted Democrat, throughout my entire career, and now I’m just watching my country and not concerned with parties.”
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Mississippi Leaders Mourn Colin Powell After Immunocompromised Ex-Secretary Dies of COVID-19

My latest for @MSFreePress with @nickjudin:
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