Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump made a brief stop at the Eden Center in the City of Falls Church early Monday morning prior to a quick stop at the Arlington National Cemetery, where a heavily-reported dispute broke out involving the Trump team’s violation of the cemetery’s “no photos” policy, and a plane trip out of town to a campaign event.
Trump showed up at the Truong Tien restaurant in the Eden Center, arguably the most active and vibrant Vietnamese-American gathering place in the U.S., with the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate Hung Cao. Cao is running against Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine.
Trump spoke briefly and left without eating, although he reportedly ordered food to go. The event was carried by C-SPAN.
The restaurant was opened last year by Thanh Huong Thi Truong and is one of dozens of outstanding Vietnamese restaurants in the center.
At his brief appearance, Trump cited his endorsement of Hung Cao in the Republican primary earlier this year and now in for the general election, and said “I really like that name, Hung Cao,” repeating it twice. He said “I don’t know why but Vietnamese people love me.” He added that he believes he has a chance to win in Virginia against Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, in November.
But while no policy issues were mentioned during Trump’s brief stop, Cao’s opponent in this November’s election, incumbent Democratic Sen. Kaine, announced Monday his release of a new series of press releases called “Cao’s Cuts,” highlighting what he calls “Hung Cao’s out-of-touch, extreme plans if elected to the U.S. Senate.”
Over the next several weeks, Kaine announced, his campaign “will call out Hung Cao’s dangerous plans and the ways they could impact Virginians.”
“Hung Cao is trying to hide his dangerous, extreme plans from Virginia voters,” said Michael Beyer, Communications Director for Senator Kaine’s campaign. “If Cao has his way, Cao’s Cuts could raise taxes on Virginians, strip them of their health care, and end Social Security and Medicare. Our campaign is launching ‘Cao’s Cuts’ so Virginians know that Hung Cao is too extreme for Virginians.”
Kaine and Cao will face off on the ballot in this November’s election, and Kaine has assailed his opponent for “avoiding facing voters to answer for his extreme plans.” During the primary campaign, Cao skipped a candidate forum in Augusta County and said it would be “ridonkulous” to drive to Abingdon to answer questions from Virginians, the Kaine campaign noted.
“As is tradition, Senator Kaine accepted four invitations for debates and candidate forums in different regions of the Commonwealth. He is disappointed that his opponent has refused to participate in the first three,” said Kaine for Virginia Communications Director Michael Beyer. “But he isn’t surprised—his opponent skipped 12 of 13 candidate forums during the GOP primary.”
Kaine elaborated, “In February of 2022, Florida Senator Rick Scott, then serving as the leader of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, rolled out a radical budgetary plan for the GOP. Hung Cao bragged that he was consulted by Rick Scott about the plan and called it ‘perfect,’ even as fellow Republicans lambasted Scott’s disastrous scheme to end Social Security and Medicare and raise taxes on the middle class. But it isn’t just Social Security and Medicare. Cao’s plans on law enforcement, veterans, and hardworking Virginians would be a disaster. If Cao had his way, he could weaken border security; defund law enforcement; jeopardize veterans’ benefits; raise taxes on active-duty servicemembers and disenfranchise veterans; put Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid on the chopping block; raise taxes on Virginia families and small businesses; and give the rich giant tax giveaways.”
Trump at the small restaurant in Falls Church’s Eden Center Monday said, “Somehow, I don’t know what it is, you’ll have to explain it, but the Vietnamese community loves me. I love them.” He called the Vietnamese community “the most beautiful dressers I’ve ever seen.”
While Trump did not eat anything during his brief stop, he was asked if he’d ever tried Vietnamese food. He said “I love Vietnamese food, but I love the people more.” He also told a group of supporters gathered, “I’m going to buy something beautiful, I don’t know what it is.”
He reportedly spent most of the time signing autographs and complaining about both the forthcoming presidential debate with Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s beach trips. “That’s not the Vietnamese, they’re hard-working people,” he said, as reported by Jessica Sidman of the Washingtonian magazine.
Trump’s appearance there drew a blizzard of comments on social media, with one typical caustic remark being, “Closest he’s ever been to Vietnam. Is he limping from bone spurs?”