Former Ambassador John Bolton said he will decide by the end of the summer whether he will run for the presidency.

Bolton, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under former President George W. Bush, told Roll Call in a phone interview that he’s still seriously considering a bid but has not yet made a final decision.

“I will do it with completely seriousness,” Bolton said. “If I run, I run to win. This is not just a frolic and a detour, it’s a serious decision.”

Bolton said he will make the final call around Labor Day, and he will not focus on building a formal campaign organization until then.

“I’m not going to do what some prospective candidates do and create a quasi-
organization and then say, ‘I’m not running,'” Bolton said.

Bolton said he has already sought advice from pollsters, fundraisers and other political professionals in the early presidential primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. He said he’s even visited Iowa recently for a conference hosted by Rep. Steve King (R).