Democratic White House contenders gave a guarded welcome to Donald Trump's meeting Sunday with Kim Jong Un, with several warning the US president was granting him "legitimacy" despite the lack of progress on curbing North Korea's nuclear arsenal.
Senator Bernie Sanders, a leading candidate in the race to face off against Trump in 2020, said he had "no problem" with Trump's decision to meet with Kim, in a moment of high diplomatic drama in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.
"Sitting down with our adversaries is not a bad idea," Sanders said on ABC's "This Week."
"I wish (Trump) would do that in the Middle East as well, and in the Persian Gulf."
"In the case of North Korea, if we can get rid of nuclear weapons there, that would be a very good thing."
But the Vermont senator warned Trump had "weakened the State Department" since taking office, and stressed that the US and North Korea need to "move forward diplomatically, not just do photo opportunities."
Another Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Amy Klobuchar, told CNN's "State of the Union" that "of course, as a country, we want this to work. I think any discussions are helpful."
"Despite three years of almost bizarre foreign policy from this president, this country is no safer when it comes to North Korea," the Democratic ex-congressman said on CBS's "Face The Nation."
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