"I think there is an empty chair in the Oval Office, because the President did not want to hear bad news about Xi Jinping, his friend. He did not want to hear bad news about the cover-up of the virus in China, or its potential effect on the China trade deal that he wants so much. And he didn't want to hear about the potential impact of a pandemic on the American economy and its effect on his reelection. Turning a blind eye to all these early signs I think hampered the country's ability to deal with this, and continues to do so," Bolton told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." Asked if he had confidence in Trump's handling of the pandemic, Bolton responded: "I do not."

Source: CNN June 24, 2020 22:17 UTC