Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has reportedly called Republican nominee Donald Trump a "national disgrace," according to leaked emails.
Colin Powell Photo: AFP
The Republican retired four-star general's comments were revealed in a hack on his personal emails.
The emails were posted on DCLeaks.com, which has reportedly been tied to other recent high-profile hacks.
Mr Powell, who has been quiet during the election, said he had "no further comment" but was "not denying it".
He also criticised Democrat Hillary Clinton's "hubris" as he attacked the way she handled her private email crisis.
The remarks about Trump were part of an email sent on 17 June to Emily Miller, a journalist and Mr Powell's former aide.
The former secretary of state, who served during George W Bush's administration, also called Mr Trump an "international pariah" who "is in the process of destroying himself".
"No need for Dems to attack him," the email said, according to BuzzFeed News.
In a separate email sent on 21 August, Mr Powell also criticised Mr Trump for promoting the birther movement, which questioned whether President Barack Obama was born in the US.
"Yup, the whole birther movement was racist," the email read. "That's what the 99% believe. When Trump couldn't keep that up he said he also wanted to see if the certificate noted that he was a Muslim."
Donald Trump Photo: AFP
But the leaked emails also revealed Mr Powell's frustrations with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her handling of her use of private email while at the state department.
"Sad thing... HRC could have killed this two years ago by merely telling everyone honestly what she had done and not tie me into it," the email read, referring to Mrs Clinton.
"I told her staff three times not to try that gambit. I had to throw a mini tantrum at a Hampton's party to get their attention."
Mrs Clinton has pointed to Mr Powell's use of his personal AOL account at the state department as an example of why her email use was common practice.
"Everything HRC touches she kind of screws up with hubris," he said in an email last year to his business partner Jeffrey Leeds.
