The U.S. opposed Ho Chi Minh because they believed in President Eisenhower's "domino theory," which stated that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, then neighboring countries would also fall like a row of dominos. Ho Chi Minh was a communist leader in Vietnam and the U.S. feared that if Vietnam fell to communism, it would lead to a spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia. The U.S. viewed communism as a threat to their national security and global influence, so they opposed Ho Chi Minh and supported South Vietnam in order to prevent the spread of communism in the region. The U.S. believed that containing communism in Vietnam was crucial to stopping the domino effect and preserving the balance of power in the Cold War.
