Trump outpaced his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, on Nov. 6 to become the 47th President of the U.S. starting early next year.
Previously, on Nov. 9, 2016, Trump had a victory against Hillary Clinton to name himself the 45th President of the U.S. and took office at the beginning of 2017.
Kim Hong and Donald Trump in 2007. Photo courtesy of Kim Hong |
In 2007, Hong became the first Vietnamese beauty queen to have met Trump in New York when he came to the city to advocate for bringing the Miss Universe pageant to Vietnam in 2008.
She said that before entering politics, Trump was the head of the Miss Universe Organization. In 1996, he acquired the pageant from an American swimsuit company and turned it into an immensely popular event that attracted record global viewership.
Hong had a working meeting with Trump on bringing the Miss Universe pageant to Vietnam, which was a challenge as many countries around the world were eager to host the competition at that time.
Through discussions and negotiations, driven by his affection for Vietnam and his admiration for Hong, Trump and his team agreed to make it possible for Hong to bring the event to Vietnam. The pageant was successfully held in Nha Trang, the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, significantly promoting the image of the culture, history, and people of Vietnam to a global audience via NBC.
Reflecting on her journey, Hong said that in 2007, driven by the desire to bring this prestigious pageant to Vietnam, she went to the U.S. to negotiate with Donald Trump.
During her week in the U.S., she met with him multiple times and was struck by his politeness and courteous demeanor.
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Kim Hong and the book gifted by Donald Trump in 2007. Photo courtesy of Kim Hong |
“One morning, Donald Trump invited me to his office. Wanting to celebrate our traditional Vietnamese culture and the beauty of our women, I wore a light pink Ao Dai (a Vietnamese traditional long dress). Upon seeing me, Trump was enthusiastic and complimented the beauty of my attire. He mentioned that he had researched Vietnam and was impressed by the friendliness and hospitality of our people,” Hong recounted.
Their meeting in New York extended beyond the scheduled time, lasting about three hours. Upon learning of Hong’s aspirations to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Vietnam, Trump expressed genuine happiness and guided her in collaborating with his associates.
Hong presented Trump with a beautiful painting of Vietnamese landscapes and an embroidered picture of a golden carp from XQ. In return, he gifted her a copy of his book, complete with a personal dedication on the first page.
The beauty, who is also a businesswoman and a former teacher, said she is delighted at Trump’s re-election as President of the U.S. and hopes for another opportunity to meet him.
“As a Vietnamese citizen, I wish for the Vietnam-U.S. friendship to grow stronger and stronger,” she said.
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