President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at medical experts and complained about people being tired of hearing about COVID-19, as the confirmed death toll in the U.S. ticked closer to 220,000 and the spread of the disease continued to accelerate.

Trump made the comments on a call with campaign staffers, seeking to pass blame for the pandemic and seemingly lamenting his inability to shift the national conversation.

People are tired of Covid, Trump said . People are tired of hearing Fauci and these idiots, all these idiots who got it wrong.

Every time he goes on television, theres always a bomb, but theres a bigger bomb if you fire him, Trump added. This guys a disaster.

The president was referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert and a member of the White House coronavirus task force. Trump has repeatedly sought to undermine and distort Faucis comments as the public health expert has called for the implementation of safety protocols throughout the pandemic.

If theres a reporter on [the call], you can have it just the way I said it, I couldnt care less, Trump said.