Trump a 'laughing fool' in eyes of world leaders: Bolton

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Former US President Donald Trump is seen by world leaders as a "laughing fool", said his former National Security Advisor John Bolton, declining Turmp's claims that he could have prevented the war in Ukraine.

“I have been in those rooms with him when he met with those leaders, I believe they think he’s a laughing fool. And the idea that somehow his presence in office would have deterred Putin is flatly wrong,” he said on CNN Tuesday morning, naming the Russian, Chinese, and DPRK presidents in particular.

Read more: Trump calls Ukraine war West's 'proxy battle', warns of WWIII

Last week, Trump said in an interview on CNN town hall that it would take him 24 hours to end the Ukraine conflict if he gets reelected to office. The former President also added that had he won the 2020 elections and was still president today, he would have never let the war start. Bolton called both claims unrealistic.

Trump further told the town hall's host that he does not “think in terms of winning and losing” on war.

Read more: John Bolton considering 2024 presidency, calls Trump 'un-American'

This notion, with his belief that he could put an end to the conflict, “shows he’s utterly out of touch what the war is all about and what the implications of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine are all around the world,” Bolton added.

Responding to Trump's promise that he would consider pardoning a "large portion" of individuals that participated in the January 6 riots, Bolton described this statement as "virtually treasonous". 

“It’s another example why he’s not fit to be president. If anybody wants to know what a Trump administration would look like, when he’s pardoning the people who rioted on Jan. 6, I think that’s all you need to know,” he said.

Read more: US should not cooperate with ICC on Putin arrest warrant: Bolton

Trump announced in November 2022 that he will be running for the 2024 US presidential elections as a Republican candidate.