A local government in Vietnam appears to have disbursed about $2 million in November to relocate 145 households from land on which a Trump-branded development is being built, according to a report from the government of Chau Ninh Commune. This is just the first phase of relocating residents to make way for the development, which is expected to impact over 4,000 households.

The payments raise conflict of interest concerns between the Trump White House and the Trump Organization, particularly if they are in fact financed by a foreign government, as reporting seems to indicate. Trump developments abroad, the number of which has exploded this term, could potentially give some foreign governments influence with the Trump administration, as it sets tariffs and other foreign policy directly impacting Americans. 

In March 2025, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh committed to expediting the Trump Organization’s $1.5 billion project, set to be located in Hung Yen’s Khoai Chau District. Chinh expressed support for the project while meeting with Trump Organization representative Charles James Boyd Bowman, CEO of IDG Capital Vietnam, earlier this year. 

During the meeting Bowman reportedly said that The Trump Organization plans upcoming visits by its leaders to Vietnam, contributing to bolstering bilateral relations between the two nations as well as elevating Vietnam’s high-quality image in the eyes of the U.S. administration and the global community. This could explain the swift implementation of land-clearance and relocation efforts for residents, all of which has unfolded while Vietnam and the United States have periodically renegotiated tariffs. 

The development and the strong support it has garnered from the Vietnamese government highlight President Donald Trump’s international conflicts of interest. The Trump Organization’s business ventures open the door for foreign governments to influence the president of the United States’ financial prospects. In turn, the Trump administration has the ability to reward or punish foreign governments through American foreign policy. 

Additionally, the deadline for the development to be completed coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ gathering in Vietnam in 2027. Bowman has said the Trump Organization aims to complete development in time to service the gathering. APEC’s annual meeting convenes leaders of 21 member countries, including the United States. Preemptively seeking business from the conference raises additional ethics issues. 

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