Vietnam’s latest move is a masterclass in transactional politics. In what to me is clearly a bid to avoid the wrath of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the country just greenlit a $1.5 billion Trump-branded resort, fast-tracked Starlink (owned by Trump ally Elon Musk) and made clear they’re willing to pay for political favor. As The Wall Street Journal noted, it’s part of a broader strategy to curry favor with Trump as he dangles power over trade policies.
This isn’t an isolated incident. When Chinese billionaire Justin Sun faced an SEC investigation, a $30 million “investment” into World Liberty Financial, a Trump-linked crypto company, seemed to mysteriously help make the probe disappear. Unsurprisingly, 75% of the revenue from World Liberty Financial goes to Trump.
He doesn’t even try to hide it. On the campaign trail, Trump told oil execs to cough up $1 billion and he’d gut President Joe Biden’s green policies and let Big Oil run wild again. And his executive order “Unleashing American Energy” does just that. It’s not politics — that’s racketeering with a red hat.
This isn’t tough trade policy or savvy dealmaking. It’s a fire sale of American influence — and Trump is selling to the highest bidder.
Michael Pardus
Penn Township, Westmoreland County