Accusing Donald Trump of turning a blind eye at the initial stage of the outbreak because he wasn't willing to hear anything bad about his friend, Chinese President Xi Jinping, the former White House national security adviser John Bolton said he does not trust the president's ability to handle the coronavirus pandemic. It is worth noting that the POTUS has blamed China for COVID-19 during several press conferences.

In an interview with CNN, Bolton said the empty chair in the Oval Office represents Trump's unwillingness to hear bad news about Jinping, who he considers as a friend. Moreover, the president didn't want to hear about how China tried to keep details about the virus under wraps, nor was he willing to discuss the potential effect of this on China trade deal that he wanted so much.

Bolton says Trump didn't want to hear about the effect a pandemic could have on the country's economy and how it could impact his reelection. Trump turned a blind eye to all these early signs, hampering America's ability to deal with the pandemic and he continues to do so, Bolton told CNN's Wolf Blitzer one Situation Room.

When Bolton was asked if he trusted Trump to efficiently deal with the pandemic, the former White House national security adviser said he did not. Bolton said he is worried that the unpredictable nature of the policies as they have changed since Jan. when health advisors began to realize that this could be a problem has defined how they respond all the time.

More importantly, Bolton said he is worried that the president will continue following the same pattern because it is not a part of a comprehensive strategy. In a country as big as America, Bolton says it is imperative to ensure state and local authorities have important roles to play, adding that the response has been inconsistent at the federal level.

Bolton's new book dubbed The Room Where it Happened has been subject to all sorts of challenges, including a months-long legal battle with the Trump administration, which urged a judge to stop the book's publication last week. The White House accused Bolton of breaching non-disclosure agreements and risking national security by revealing classified information.

Trump administration's attempt to prevent the book from publishing was blocked by a federal judge last week, adding that Bolton could either face criminal charges or will be forced to give the profits earned from the sale of his controversy-plagued book.