Colin Powell told Fareed Zakaria: “I hope the president can come to the realization that he should really stop insulting people.“ | Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Capital Concerts Powell and Albright say world is changing in disturbing ways

The emergence of social media and the rhetoric of President Donald Trump have upended the old world order in dangerous ways, two former secretaries of state told Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired Sunday.

Madeleine Albright, who served under President Bill Clinton, and Colin Powell, who served under President George W. Bush, both expressed concern on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” about disturbing disruptions in the international order.


“I do think we are in a very different era,” Albright said, “where, in fact, voices have been disaggregated so that people are getting their information through their social media. They see things from the perspective of what they already agree with.”

She added: “People want to know what their identities are. So, all of a sudden, there’s — we’re going to have great pride in identity, but if my identity hates your identity, then it’s not patriotism, it’s hypernationalism and it’s very dangerous.”

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Powell seconded her concerns.

“We used to be the leader of the world that wanted to be free,” the former general said, adding: “In recent years, the pressures and the forces that Madeleine talked about has come into play. They’ve come into play. And what are we doing? We’re walking away from agreements; we’re walking away from the alliances, frankly, that we used to have.”

Powell put some of the blame on President Donald Trump’s behavior on the international stage.

“President goes to Europe to a NATO meeting, but he starts out by insulting some of the other participants, our allies,” Powell said. “And so, America has to take a hard look at itself, and especially the Congress. Take a hard look at yourself, and see what we are doing to try to keep these forces in check and put America back in the middle of all this.”

Powell also told Zakaria he doubted Trump could be “a moral leader” for the world.

“I hope the president can come to the realization that he should really stop insulting people,” Powell said, adding, “We somehow have got to get back on track.”

Discussing Trump’s presidency and what she said was “a tumultuous time where there is just hatred,“ Albright added: “I really am appalled.”

