Sen. Lindsey Graham on President Trump meeting with Kim Jong Un: "Let's give it a try."
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is open to President Trump meeting with Kim Jong Un a third time. Graham told Margaret Brennan on "Face The Nation" that "there's no downside to keep trying" for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Mr. Trump issued a tweet on Saturday in hopes of meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a handshake at the Demilitarized Zone. North Korea responded by calling the invitation a "very interesting suggestion" but said they hadn't received an official proposal.
"They haven't exploded a bomb. They haven't tested any [intercontinental ballistic missiles] in quite a while," Graham said. The last time North Korea was known to have tested ICBMs was in 2017.
"So, I would encourage the president to keep talking," Graham continued. "But the point is to get irreversible, verifiable denuclearization of the [Korean] peninsula. That's the goal."
Mr. Trump's February meeting with Kim in Vietnam ended early and without progress — a setback from the 2018 Singapore summit at which both sides agreed to work towards denuclearization of the North.
Graham remains optimistic, so long as the president believes an ongoing discussion is worth pursuing.
"If Trump thinks he can do this by continue to engage Kim Jong Un, let's give it a try," Graham said.