John Bolton believes Trump downplaying the coronavirus may cost him the election

Former national security adviser John Bolton appeared on “Cuomo Prime Time” on Thursday and discussed the latest report that President Trump initially downplayed the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recorded conversations with journalist Bob Woodward, Trump said he downplayed the virus to keep people calm. In fact, he tweeted, “Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didn’t he immediately report them in an effort to save lives? Didn’t he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!” Bolton said that Trump’s handling of the pandemic is not presidential. “You just simply can't reconcile that with the qualities, the character you need in a president of the United States,” he said. Bolton also believes this latest revelation may cost Trump in the November election. “It’s just absolutely striking how clear he is on these tapes to Woodward of his appreciation for how dangerous the coronavirus was compared to what he was saying publicly at the time,” Bolton said. “And that coming out of his own mouth, I think this could be nearly the point where the campaign ends.”