Colin Powell Emails Leaked: Donald Trump 'A National Disgrace'

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell called Donald Trump "a national disgrace" and lamented Hillary Clinton's attempts to equate her email usage with Powell's, according to emails leaked by a group that may have Russian ties.

The emails were obtained by the website DCLeaks.com and first reported Tuesday night by Buzzfeed. Other national news outlets reported on more emails Wednesday morning.

The emails offer a window into the thinking of Powell, a prominent conservative who has largely remained quiet during the election. Powell did not deny the emails' authenticity in a statement to Buzzfeed. He told NBC News that "The hackers have a lot more" of his emails.

These were the biggest takeaways.

'A national disgrace'

Powell does not like Trump.

In the June 17 email, he also called the GOP nominee an "international pariah" and said Trump was "racist," according to Buzzfeed.

Birther movement was 'racist'

"Yup, the whole birther movement was racist,” Powell wrote in an email to journalist and former aide Emily Miller, according to Buzzfeed. “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.”

“As I have said before, ‘What if he was?’" Powell added. "Muslims are born as Americans everyday."

Roger Ailes won't help Trump with women, Powell says

When Trump hired the former Fox News chairman — who was recently ousted amid a bevy of sexual harassment allegations — to be an adviser on his campaign, Powell said it wouldn't help him much, especially among women.

“And Ailes as an advisor wont heal women, don’t you think?” Powell wrote, according to Buzzfeed.

Black voter projections 'schizo fantasy'

In an Aug. 21 email, Powell said, "And for him to say yesterday that within four years he would have 95% of blacks voting for him is schizo fantasy," according to an email read on CNN.

So why doesn't Powell denounce Trump publicly?

“You guys are playing his game, you are his oxygen," he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an email, according to Buzzfeed. "He outraged us again today with his comments on Paris no-go for police districts. I will watch and pick the timing, not respond to the latest outrage.”

In another email, Buzzfeed reported, Powell said of Trump: "To go on and call him an idiot just emboldens him."

Benghazi investigation a 'stupid witch hunt'

"Benghazi is a stupid witch hunt. Basic fault falls on a courageous ambassador who thoughts Libyans now love me and I am ok in this very vulnerable place,” he wrote to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to Buzzfeed

Powell was referring to ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who was killed in the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Libya.

Powell said blame for the attacks "also rests on his leaders and supports back here. Pat Kennedy, Intel community, DS and yes HRC."

“Completely agree,” Rice wrote back. “Let me know when you’re in town and we’ll have that glass of wine (or two).”

Distancing himself from Clinton emails

While Clinton has tried to point to Powell to explain away her email usage, Powell said he had no part in her decision.

“I didn't tell Hillary to have a private server at home, connected to the Clinton Foundation, two contractors, took away 60,000 emails, had her own domain," Powell said, according to Politico.

He also wrote, according to NBC News, "I have told Hilleary's [sic] minions repeatedly that they are making a mistake trying to drag me in, yet they still try."

Who leaked the emails?

According to Buzzfeed, the emails were obtained by DCLeaks.com, which calls itself "a new level project aimed to analyze and publish a large amount of emails from top-ranking officials and their influence agents all over the world."

The website has been connected to ongoing Russian cyber attacks this year targeting U.S. political figures.

Image via Department of Defense