colin powell was not necessarily a stay in your lane type guy in the accounts we've seen over the years. in recent years, as a matter of fact, he criticized the republican party, he spoke out against the january 6 insurrection at the capitol, he endorsed former president barack obama in 2008. i want to play a little bit from that moment. listen. >> he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. i think he is a transformational figure. he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the american stage, and for that reason i'll be voting for senator barack obama. >> anita, how significant was that moment? are you surprised at all that he took that step against what was his own party? >> not surprised at all. i think it was a very significant moment, because people did listen to him. they respected his opinion.