President Donald Trump is trying to continue to engage with North Korea about denuclearization, even though he raised eyebrows by appearing to disagree with concerns raised by National Security Adviser John Bolton and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over short-range missile tests, Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday.
"(Trump) has got advisers that are going to give him the best available information," the North Carolina Republican told Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime." "He strained to build a relationship, to do something that no other president has been able to do, and that's to denuclearize North Korea and get to a more solid relationship going forward."
Tillis also dismissed the idea that trying something new with Kim is a risky strategy.
"I think there's really only one upside," said Tillis."We can go down the sanctions route, work with our partners in the region...I want to give the president a lot of leeway to do something like I said."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un got more dangerous under President Barack Obama's administration, he added, so "a change in tactics is worth a try."
Meanwhile, Tillis said he'd like to see more clear, measurable progress on display the next time Trump and Kim meet.
Tillis also spoke out against claims made by Democratic presidential candidate Seth Moulton, who has commented that Trump is "unpatriotic" because he is interested in "siding with dictators" if it's good for his ratings.
"The president has put NATO on notice," said Tillis. "They are contributing at historic levels. He is engaging our potential adversaries, but I don't think there's any doubt in my mind of the president is a patriot and he is looking out for the United States' best interest."