Harris predicts Democrats will win midterm, slams Trump for weakening Korea alliance

Kamala Harris predicted Wednesday that Democrats will win both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections while criticizing Donald Trump’s handling of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in Seoul. Speaking at the 2026 Asan Memorial Lecture, she said Trump had weakened joint military exercises, used erratic tariffs and embraced North Korea. Harris called for renewed alliance commitments and stronger deterrence amid closer ties among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Harris said the number of competitive House seats that could shift from Republican to Democrat had risen from 40 to 46 in recent days.

Harris declined to discuss a possible 2028 presidential campaign, saying winning the 2026 elections was the immediate priority.

She said the South Korea-U.S. alliance remains a linchpin of security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific.

Harris criticized what she called the Trump administration’s “blunt, raw transactionalism” and urged U.S. leaders to align leverage with long-term interests in artificial intelligence, climate, trade, human rights and international law.

Published Oct 14, 2026 3:48 pm KST

Updated Oct 14, 2026 4:05 pm KST

Ex-US vice president returns to Seoul to warn against Trump's transactionalism

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a lecture titled "American Leadership and the Future of Alliances" at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris predicted Wednesday that the Democrats will win both the House of Representatives and Senate in November’s midterm elections, while using a Seoul appearance to deliver a pointed critique of U.S. President Donald Trump’s handling of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and his overtures toward North Korea.

Speaking at the 2026 Asan Memorial Lecture, Harris said the electoral map is shifting in Democrats’ favor.

“We are facing a lot of obstacles, but the Democrats are going to win. I believe certainly the House and ... each day presents a new reason to think that of winning the Senate as well,” she said, noting that the number of competitive House seats that could flip from Republican to Democrat had grown from 40 to 46 in recent days.

When asked about a potential 2028 presidential run, she sidestepped the question. “(The year) 2028, from my perspective, doesn’t matter if we don’t win 2026,” she said.

The remarks came as Trump faces declining approval ratings following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war in late February, with congressional races remaining neck-and-neck.

U.S. troops inspect armored vehicles and equipment at a U.S. military base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 19, during the Korea-U.S. Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise. Yonhap

Harris used the lecture to criticize what she called Trump’s erosion of U.S. alliance commitments, singling out his decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea.

“I was very disappointed. It would be an understatement to see when the current president changed the strength of our shared exercises in terms of military exercises,” she said, adding that punitive, erratic tariffs and Trump’s embrace of North Korea sent signals “contrary to the strength of the alliance — not only in the interest of the safety and stability of South Korea and the Indo-Pacific, but also the strengthening of America’s standing around the world.”

She framed the growing partnership among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as a reason to deepen, not weaken, alliance commitments.

“The growing relationship between, for example, China and Russia and Iran and North Korea is something we have to pay attention to and it should be the reason that within our alliance that we are committed to strengthening what must, without any question, happen in terms of deterrence,” Harris said.

“There is work that the United States should always be committed to — that is about participating in and strengthening the Republic of Korea’s armed forces.”

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, speaks with Lee Chung-min, adjunct senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies after giving a lecture titled "American Leadership and the Future of Alliances" at the institute in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Harris said the South Korea-U.S. alliance needs to be renewed under changing circumstances.

“We have to acknowledge the changing circumstances even over the last year and a half that require a renewal of our commitment to South Korea,” she said, reaffirming her belief that the alliance remains a “linchpin of security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific.”

“I have returned to Seoul because I still believe that is true.”

Broadening her critique to U.S. foreign policy more generally, Harris took aim at what she called the Trump administration’s “blunt, raw transactionalism.”

“American foreign policy and relations among other nations is increasingly grounded in a blunt, raw transactionalism motivated by short term financial payoffs, overlooking the value of long-term investments in the kind of world we want to live in,” she said.

She called on U.S. leaders to use American leverage in ways that align with long-term interests such as artificial intelligence, climate and trade.

“America must use our leverage to ensure our actions align with our interests. It is in our interest to hold our allies accountable for their share of global defense, to ensure trade benefits, American workers and consumers and to uphold our moral obligation to human rights and international law.”

卡玛拉·哈里斯周三预测，民主党将在11月的中期选举中赢得国会两院的控制权，同时批评了唐纳德·特朗普在首尔处理美韩同盟问题的方式。她在2026年峨山纪念讲座上发表讲话时表示，特朗普削弱了联合军事演习，随意加征关税，并向朝鲜示好。哈里斯呼吁，在中俄伊朝关系日益密切的背景下，应重申美韩同盟的承诺，并加强威慑力。

哈里斯表示，最近几天，可能从共和党转为民主党的竞争激烈的众议院席位数量已从 40 个增加到 46 个。

哈里斯拒绝讨论2028年总统竞选的可能性，称赢得2026年大选是眼下的首要任务。

她表示，韩美同盟仍然是朝鲜半岛和印太地区安全与繁荣的关键。

哈里斯批评了她所谓的特朗普政府“直白、赤裸裸的交易主义”，并敦促美国领导人将影响力与人工智能、气候、贸易、人权和国际法等领域的长期利益相结合。

发布于2026年10月14日下午3:48（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月14日下午4:05（韩国标准时间）

美国前副总统重返首尔，警告民众警惕特朗普的交易主义。

美国前副总统卡马拉·哈里斯周三在首尔峨山政策研究院发表题为“美国领导力与联盟的未来”的演讲。（韩联社）

美国前副总统卡马拉·哈里斯周三预测，民主党将在11月的中期选举中赢得众议院和参议院的控制权。她还利用在首尔的露面，对美国总统唐纳德·特朗普处理韩美同盟的方式以及他对朝鲜的示好进行了尖锐的批评。

哈里斯在 2026 年阿桑纪念讲座上发表讲话时表示，选举版图正在向有利于民主党的方向转变。

“我们面临很多困难，但民主党一定会赢。我相信众议院肯定会赢，而且……每天都有新的理由让我们相信我们也能赢得参议院，”她说道，并指出，最近几天，可能从共和党转为民主党的竞争激烈的众议院席位数量已从40个增加到46个。

当被问及是否有可能参加2028年总统竞选时，她回避了这个问题。“在我看来，如果我们2026年没赢，2028年就无关紧要了，”她说。

特朗普发表这番言论之际，正值2月底美伊战争爆发后，他的支持率不断下降，而国会选举的选情也依然胶着。

8月19日，在韩美“乙支自由之盾”联合军事演习期间，美军士兵在京畿道东豆川市美军基地检查装甲车辆和装备。（韩联社）

哈里斯利用这次演讲批评了她所谓的特朗普对美国盟友承诺的侵蚀，并特别指出他决定缩减与韩国的联合军事演习。

“我非常失望。现任总统改变了我们共同军事演习的力度，这绝非夸张，”她说道，并补充说，惩罚性的、反复无常的关税以及特朗普对朝鲜的亲近态度，都发出了“与联盟的稳固性背道而驰的信号——这不仅不利于韩国和印太地区的安全与稳定，也不利于提升美国在世界上的地位。”

她认为，中国、俄罗斯、伊朗和朝鲜之间日益增长的伙伴关系，应该成为深化而非削弱联盟承诺的理由。

哈里斯说：“例如，中国和俄罗斯、伊朗和朝鲜之间日益密切的关系是我们必须关注的，这也应该是我们联盟致力于加强威慑力量的原因，毫无疑问，威慑力量的加强势在必行。”

“美国应该始终致力于一项工作——那就是参与和加强韩国的武装力量。”

美国前副总统卡马拉·哈里斯（右）周三在首尔峨山政策研究院发表题为“美国领导力与联盟的未来”的演讲后，与该研究院兼职高级研究员李钟民交谈。（韩联社）

哈里斯表示，鉴于形势变化，韩美同盟需要更新。

“我们必须承认，即使在过去一年半的时间里，情况也发生了变化，这需要我们重申对韩国的承诺，”她说道，并重申她相信该联盟仍然是“朝鲜半岛和印太地区安全与繁荣的关键”。

“我回到首尔是因为我仍然相信这是真的。”

哈里斯将批评范围扩大到美国外交政策的更广泛层面，抨击了她所谓的特朗普政府“直白、赤裸裸的交易主义”。

她说：“美国的外交政策和与其他国家的关系越来越基于一种直白、赤裸裸的交易主义，其动机是短期经济回报，而忽视了对我们想要生活的世界的长期投资的价值。”

她呼吁美国领导人利用美国的影响力，以符合人工智能、气候和贸易等长期利益的方式行事。

“美国必须利用自身的影响力，确保我们的行动符合自身利益。追究盟友在全球防务中应尽的责任，确保贸易利益、美国工人和消费者的权益，以及履行我们对人权和国际法的道德义务，都符合我们的利益。”