The United States has lost a "trailblazing leader" in former US Secretary of State and chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, who passed away earlier in the day, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2021) The United States has lost a "trailblazing leader" in former US Secretary of State and chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, who passed away earlier in the day, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday.
"America has lost a trailblazing leader with the passing of Colin Powell," McConnell said in a statement. "Today we remember and honor a man who truly dedicated his entire life to serving his country."
McConnell underscored that Powell was an example of a quintessential American story, as he was a son of Jamaican immigrants who became a four-star general in the US army and served four presidential administrations, including as the first ever black Secretary of State, the statement read.
Powell died on Monday at the age of 84 from coronavirus-related complications, his family said in a statement. He was fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Powell became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1989 and served in that position for four years. In 2001, he was tapped by former US President George W. Bush to serve as the Secretary of State and left the post in 2005. In 2020, Powell supported current President Joe Biden in his presidential campaign.
