Trust Issues: Trump’s Vietnam Mirage

Tariff Tweets, Phantom Deals, and the Golden Golf Course Nobody Asked For

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When Deals Are Just Vibes

Donald Trump recently declared, with full confidence and zero paperwork, that a new U.S.–Vietnam trade deal is “pretty well set.”

The terms?

Tariffs on Vietnamese goods would drop from 46% to 20%—as long as Vietnam complies with rules about not sneakily re-exporting Chinese

goods.

The only problem?

Vietnam’s government hadn’t signed anything.

In fact, Hanoi was like, “Excuse me, what deal?” 

Meanwhile, Vietnamese-language press was focused on something else entirely: Trump’s shiny new $1.5 billion golf resort rising from farmland in Hưng Yên province, just outside Hanoi.

It’s big. It’s branded. And it’s confusing as hell.

So let’s break this down, Bizarro360 style.

trump/Vietnam Deal?

1. The Tariff Tango: Fact vs. Trump Fiction

In classic Trump form, he announced the trade deal on social media—without specifics, signatures, or, you know… Vietnamese agreement.

The big condition? Vietnam must “prove” it's not funneling Chinese goods through its ports (a process known as transshipping) or face a 40% tariff.

The issue? Transshipping enforcement is murky. Customs offices can’t magically divine a product’s origin if it’s been re-assembled, re-labeled, or partially manufactured. And as Reuters noted, Vietnamese officials didn’t even know they were in a deal when the news broke.

This leaves exporters in limbo. What qualifies as proof?

Who sets the standard?

Is this real policy—or just another Trump flex designed to look strong on China while doing business in Asia?

2. The Mirage in Hưng Yên: Luxury, Land Grabs & A “Resort” in an Industrial Belt

Forget Danang. Trump’s new mega-project is a golf-resort compound in Hưng Yên, a fast-developing riverbank area known more for logistics warehouses than luxury getaways. The 990-hectare complex is pitched as a billion-dollar win for Vietnam’s tourism industry.

Except… Hưng Yên isn’t a tourist hot spot.

The air quality is average, the weather is Hanoi-level muggy, and nobody vacations next to an industrial park. So why build there? Because of land prices. Because of proximity to shipping routes. And possibly, because Trump already had a deal lined up years ago, before most people were watching.

Local news reports say environmental reviews were fast-tracked or skipped entirely. Farmers were offered lowball payouts. Ancestral graves were cleared.

But hey—Eric Trump says it’ll be “world-class.” That should fix everything, right?

3. Vietnamese Optimism vs. Global Skepticism

Vietnamese news outlets have covered the resort as an investment victory. In a country where economic growth is prized, hosting a Trump property is seen by some as validation on the world stage.

But many younger Vietnamese—especially students and new professionals—aren’t buying the hype. My own former students in Ho Chi Minh City were quick to point out that “Trump being rich” is a myth. Once his holdings and grifts show up on the blockchain, they said, “you can’t fake that amount—no matter how orange your face is.”

They’re also asking the real questions:

• If tariffs haven’t dropped, why is the U.S. getting more access than we are?

• If this resort is a real business plan, where’s the economic benefit for locals?

• And most importantly: how do you explain a man worried about beachfronts in Gaza—but building a mega-resort in foggy, dusty Hưng Yên?

4. The Transshipment Trap

Here’s where it gets really sketchy. The deal (which doesn’t really exist) supposedly allows Vietnam to avoid huge tariffs—if it doesn’t transship Chinese goods.

But Trump hasn’t clarified who enforces that rule, or how violations are judged.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is a global manufacturing hub precisely because it sits next to China. The two supply chains are deeply interwoven. Blocking transshipment without hurting honest exporters is like asking someone to bake bread without using wheat.

So is this about enforcing trade law—or setting up a gotcha clause to slam Vietnam later?

5. Bizarro Takeaway: Where There’s Smoke… There’s a Golf Cart

In true Trumpian fashion, there’s no shortage of drama:

• A “deal” that may not exist

• A billion-dollar resort with no logical tourist appeal

• Locals pushed out of farmland for a golden tee-off point

• A tariff clause that penalizes Vietnam for existing next to China

It’s all smoke, mirrors, and money. If this is diplomacy, it’s being played on a golf course. One where only one guy gets to tee off.

Call to Action: Questions to Ask

1. What exactly is the Vietnam–U.S. trade agreement? If it’s real, where’s the paper?

2. Who benefits from Trump-branded land projects in Vietnam? Locals, or elite investors?

3. Is Vietnam being used as a pawn to pressure China—or is it playing its own long game?

4. What do Vietnamese people actually think about this? Where are the grassroots voices?

Deals are easy to tweet.

But truth?

That takes FOIA requests, local reporting, and talking to real people.

So let’s do that. Bizarro360 is watching.