Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Joe Biden for president and will appear at the Democratic Convention Tuesday evening, NBC first reported.

Why it matters: Powell is the highest profile Republican to cross party lines, throwing his support behind Biden and adding his name to a growing list of GOP voices who are encouraging voters to support the former vice president over President Trump.

• Powell served under President George W. Bush.

What they’re saying: “The values I learned growing up in the South Bronx and serving in uniform were the same values that Joe Biden‘s parents instilled in him,” Powell said in a video released by the DNC.

• “Our country needs a commander in chief who takes care of our troops in the same way he would his own family,” he added.
• “For Joe Biden, that doesn’t need teaching — it comes from the experience he shares with millions of military families.“