HANOI — Among Asians closely following the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election, Vietnamese stand out not only in their enthusiasm but also in their preference for President Donald Trump over former Vice President Joe Biden.
“I support Trump because he does not hesitate to take strong action against China,” a chief executive at a textile company based in Ho Chi Minh City told Nikkei Asia, adding that the president has an attitude unlike any of those of his predecessors.
He is not alone. More than 49,000 readers have taken an online poll that news site VnExpress posted on Sept. 18: “In your opinion, who will be elected US president?” Readers are given two choices — Trump or Biden.
The results have been overwhelming. As of Monday, Trump has secured 79% of the total clicks, leaving Biden with 21%. Tuoi Tre, the online edition of a newspaper operated by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, says Trump leads its survey at 78%. Thanh Nien, another Ho Chi Minh-based media outlet, says Trump is favored by more than 80% of its readers.