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President Donald Trump's anti-communist rhetoric speaks more about America than about Việt Nam, but it has a significant impact on bilateral relations. When the Republican Party utilizes "anti-communism" as a prominent tool to mobilize voters, the focus of Việt Nam-U.S. relations risks shifting away from practical interests and toward sensitive debates regarding ideology, human rights, and trade.

Despite these political undercurrents, Việt Nam remains an important partner for the U.S. in maintaining supply chains, fostering regional security, and limiting China’s power. Moving forward, the biggest challenge for Việt Nam will be ensuring that its relations with the U.S. become less ideological, more pragmatic, and firmly aligned with long-term interests.

“Communism is a Deadly Threat”

During his speech commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence (1776-2026), President Donald Trump surprised many by centering his political message on the dangers of communism.

Trump described communism as a danger to not only America but all of humanity: “Communism is the enemy of free people everywhere, all over the world. It never works; it is the enemy of the Constitution, and above all, the enemy of July 4, 1776—indeed, it is an enemy.” [1]

He also asserted that “America will never be a communist nation.” [2]

Arguing that the absence of communism has made the country stronger and richer, he declared emphatically: “We resolve and swear for all to hear that the citizens of the United States of America will vanquish communism quickly ... We will send them quickly away, and we will continue to build our country bigger and better, stronger than ever before.”

By calling for a boycott of communism, Trump targeted what he calls radical and extremist forces who are attacking American history and identity. [3] On this prominent American holiday, Trump’s anti-communist message was a shift from praising American exceptionalism to warning about the dangers of communism. [4]

This rhetoric unfolded during a campaign-related event, directly linking the perceived threat of communism to the upcoming midterm elections.

While anti-communism is a long-standing tradition in American politics stemming from the Cold War, the way Trump uses this message offers a completely new perspective. For Trump, communism is not a foreign adversary; it is a dangerous domestic force embraced by his political rivals.

When associated with the left—such as progressive politicians or those perceived as threatening American identity—communism acts less as a comprehensive foreign policy doctrine and more as a tool to mobilize voter support.

According to the security theory of Barry Buzan, Ole Wæver, and Jaap de Wilde, an issue becomes security-related not only when it is identified as dangerous, but also when politicians interpret it as an existential threat and thus justify their particular actions in ostracizing it. [5]

By elevating communism to the level of a national security threat, Trump reframes it as a political symbol to distinguish friend from foe. This helps him in mobilizing domestic voter loyalty and fosters the sentiment that America is engaged in a life-or-death confrontation over its socioeconomic identity.

Three Risks for Vietnam

Will the U.S. revert to a Cold War-style anti-communist policy in its relationship with Việt Nam? That outcome is unlikely.

Over the past three decades, the Việt Nam-U.S. relationship has been built on practical interests rather than ideology, featuring prominent cooperation in trade, supply chains, maritime security, technology, education, post-war recovery, and the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.

This was solidified in 2023 when the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Their joint statement emphasized cooperation for peace, prosperity, sustainable development, supply chains, technology, climate, education, and post-war remediation rather than framing the relationship within an ideological alliance. [6]

Similarly, the U.S. State Department highlights that bilateral relations have significantly expanded across economics, security, education, health, and interpersonal exchanges since reconciliation began in 1995. [7] The two nations regularly engage in dialogues spanning labor, human rights, defense, energy, science, technology, economics, security, law enforcement, and regional issues.

Despite this, Việt Nam cannot afford to underestimate Trump's anti-communist rhetoric. In international politics, language shapes how interests are understood, negotiated, and politicized. As "communism" becomes the primary rallying cry in American politics during the Trump 2.0 era, Việt Nam faces three main risks.

First is the risk of symbolic meaning. While Việt Nam’s foreign policy and economic trajectory have been multilateral and pragmatic, it remains a country definitively ruled by the Communist Party.

Even if Trump's rhetoric primarily targets domestic opponents, the deeply polarized media environment blurs the lines between ideological rivals at home and communist partners abroad.

The relationship's stability relies on being defined by concrete interests; otherwise, it risks being drawn into identity debates and becoming susceptible to U.S. election cycles. This shift could alienate even dedicated U.S. politicians who might otherwise support Việt Nam.

Second is the risk of the commercial sector becoming overly secure. As the U.S. works to shift supply chains away from China, Việt Nam serves as a crucial link. However, this makes Việt Nam highly vulnerable to trade scrutiny.

Earlier this year, Jennifer Wicks McNamara—the U.S. incumbent ambassador to Việt Nam under the Trump administration—expressed concern over the sharp increase in Việt Nam's trade surplus. Washington fears that China could use Việt Nam as a transit channel for fraudulent goods to evade tariffs. [8]

Furthermore, despite 30 years of normalized relations, conflicts persist.

Recently, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) reported that Việt Nam uses forced labor in its supply chain, justifying additional tariffs on Vietnamese exports. Hà Nội refuted these claims, emphasizing its prohibition of forced labor and adherence to International Labour Organization (ILO) standards. [9]

When trade, labor, and intellectual property are framed as "national security" or "America First" issues, conservative U.S. politicians can interpret trade figures as evidence of Việt Nam "taking advantage of America." Linking these economic disputes to communist ideology could severely deteriorate bilateral relations, particularly as the Trump administration prioritizes populist policies ahead of the November midterm elections.

Third , there are long-term strategic risks. Việt Nam relies on the U.S. as a top-priority partner to contain China defensively and to access technology and supply chains economically. Hence, maintaining this relationship is central to Hà Nội's foreign policy.

According to the "two-level games" theory proposed by political scientist Robert D. Putnam in 1988, leaders negotiate simultaneously on international and domestic levels, meaning a foreign policy agreement is only sustainable if it withstands domestic political constraints. [10]

Therefore, U.S. policy toward Việt Nam will not be determined solely by the State Department, the Pentagon, or the need to contain China. It will be heavily influenced by voters, conservative media, labor unions, anti-China groups, human rights lawmakers, and Trump's need to maintain a "tough" image.

Bilateral relations could easily devolve into bargaining over tariffs and human rights. In April, a U.S. Congressional report indicated that concerns over Việt Nam's human rights situation had already limited efforts to strengthen security cooperation. [11] If these concerns escalate, the Trump administration could leverage anti-communist rhetoric to pressure Việt Nam on labor, trade, or immigration, arguing that the country's development model is flawed.

Historically, both nations managed these differences effectively: the U.S. raised human rights without disrupting overall cooperation, and Việt Nam expanded relations despite wariness over "peaceful evolution."

The current difficulty lies in Trump's unpredictable political style, which personalizes policy, prioritizes symbolic victories, and employs confrontational language.

Việt Nam must prepare for the reality that American anti-communist sentiments could swiftly become a volatile issue in their bilateral ties.

Looking Towards the Future

The development of the Việt Nam-U.S. relationship was not driven by shared political systems or development paths. Rather, it succeeded because both nations identified overlapping interests significant enough to overcome historical conflict and political divisions.

Despite its strong anti-communist language, the Trump administration has consistently promoted relations with Việt Nam. During his first presidency, a 2017 joint statement highlighted opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation across politics, economics, security, education, social exchanges, post-war remediation, and regional issues. [12]

This foundation paved the way for the Biden administration to upgrade relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023, reflecting the high priority both nations assign to one another amid global power competition. As long as bilateral ties remain anchored in long-term interests, Trump's anti-communist rhetoric will not necessarily translate into an anti-Việt Nam policy.

However, in the current U.S. political environment, no relationship is entirely immune to populism and polarization. The principal challenge for Việt Nam is not that Trump will abruptly designate Hà Nội as an ideological adversary. Instead, the real danger is that Việt Nam could become collateral damage amidst broader U.S. agendas—whether driven by desires to counter China, control trade deficits, manage globalization, regulate the tech sector, or utilize anti-communist rhetoric to discredit the American left.

***

Trump's anti-communist rhetoric is reflective of a deeply polarized American political landscape, one where Cold War memories are actively repurposed to identify and criticize domestic rivals and undocumented immigrants. Furthermore, for an unpredictable and populist politician like Trump, using extreme political labels to discredit opponents is a standard tactic.

Việt Nam cannot expect to remain completely unaffected by these shifts in American politics. As Trump's political language and broader U.S. policies grow increasingly ideological, Việt Nam must deliberately steer the Việt Nam-U.S. relationship in the opposite direction.

Specifically, Việt Nam needs to emphasize practical economic relations, strengthen transparent institutional frameworks for trade and investment, and anchor its diplomatic ties to specific, enduring interests. These include overcoming war consequences, managing trade risks, and bolstering cooperation in education, technology, energy, public health, maritime security, peacekeeping, and regional integration.

By prioritizing these areas, both nations can foster a convergence of interests that sets their bilateral relationship on a much safer path.

Lê Thái Bảo wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on July 7, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.

References: +

1. Kelly, L. (2026, July 3). Trump at Mount Rushmore warns of communist “enemy” in “optimistic” speech celebrating America’s birthday. The Hill . https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5953239-trump-at-mount-rushmore-warns-of-communist-enemy-in-optimistic-speech-celebrating-americas-birthday/

2. Holland, S. (2026, July 4). Trump extols America, rails at communism in US 250th celebration. Reuters . https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-extols-america-rails-communism-us-250th-celebration-2026-07-04/

3. Dias, D. (2026, July 4). Trump warns of “communist menace” in speech at Mount Rushmore on eve of July 4th. CBS News . https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mount-rushmore-speech-july-4-communism/

4. Press, T. A. (2026, July 4). In Mount Rushmore speech, Trump veers from U.S. exceptionalism to warnings about communism. NPR . https://www.npr.org/2026/07/04/g-s1-132025/mount-rushmore-speech-trump-july-4-250

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6. Joint Leaders’ Statement: Elevating United States–Vietnam Relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. (2023, September 11). US Embassy in Vietnam . https://vn.usembassy.gov/joint-leaders-statement-elevating-united-states-vietnam-relations-to-a-comprehensive-strategic-partnership/

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8. Guarascio, F. (2026, January 13). Trump’s pick as Vietnam envoy sets sights on trade gap as Hanoi’s surplus with US tops China’s. Reuters . https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trumps-pick-vietnam-envoy-sets-sights-trade-gap-hanois-surplus-with-us-tops-2026-01-13/

9. Hiền, T. (2026, June 4). Vietnam responds to U.S. investigation findings on forced labor. Tuổi Trẻ . https://tuoitre.vn/viet-nam-len-tieng-ve-ket-luan-dieu-tra-cua-my-ve-lao-dong-cuong-buc-2026060414494071.htm

10. Putnam, R. (1988). Diplomacy and Domestic Politics: The Logic of Two-Level Games. International Organization . https://www.jstor.org/stable/2706785?seq=1

11. U.S.-Vietnam Relations. (2026, April 27). Congressional Research Service . https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF10209/IF10209.28.pdf

12. Joint Statement by President Trump and President Tran Dai Quang of Vietnam. (2017, November 12). The American Presidency Project . https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/joint-statement-president-trump-and-president-tran-dai-quang-vietnam