Trump responds to Colin Powell's 'national disgrace' remark

Donald Trump brushed off leaked emails from Colin Powell calling him a "national disgrace" with a tweet late Wednesday dismissing the former secretary of state's credibility.

The contents of the emails were first reported by Buzzfeed News. It said the messages had been obtained by the website DCLeaks.com, which a federal law official told NBC News is believed to have ties to Russian intelligence services.

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In one email, the former secretary of state called Trump a "national disgrace" and "international pariah" — adding that the GOP presidential contender was "in the process of destroying himself, no need for Dems to attack him."

The self-described lifelong Republican also slammed Trump for spurring the "racist" so-called "birther" movement — the consistently debunked rumor that President Barack Obama was born in another country.

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Colin Powell Profile InsideGov

The revelations mark the latest in a string of headlines around Powell's email correspondence, which have been a talking point amid controversy around Hillary Clinton's use of a private server.

Powell expressed frustration about his name being linked to Clinton's email issues, writing in another leaked email: "I have told Hilleary's [sic] minions repeatedly that they are making a mistake trying to drag me in, yet they still try."

In a 2014 email about Clinton, the retired four-star general wrote: "I would rather not have to vote for her, although she is a friend I respect."

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