Trump's America During Trump's Second Term Feels Oddly Familiar to Observers from China

When the standup comedian, an emerging performer, takes her platform in the Big Apple, she's not just considering which jokes to tell. She also weighs which topics to steer clear of. “I refrain from directly criticizing the government,” she explained. Or if she ventures there, she ensures it isn't captured for social media. “I would never publish openly material where I openly disparage the government … I believe this is a habit from China.”

The comedian, 39, resided in Shanghai for nearly a decade, leaving in that year. By 2025, she moved to America. Upon arrival, she embarked on an intense period of “overindulging on freedom,” going to talks, demonstrations, and exploring the city's library system.

But over the past year since Donald Trump was elected again, there has been a “palpable change” in the atmosphere, she notes. “Back home, I understood the boundaries, whereas here I'm standing on unstable ground.”

Her fears reflect an emerging political reality in America which many Chinese, or those who have lived in China, perceive as disturbingly similar. Enemies face exclusion. The president expects absolute loyalty. Journalists face scrutiny. Establishments come under fire.

The president has openly expressed regarding his respect for China's leader, the nation's strongman leader. He has described Xi as “fantastic”. As they agreed a temporary truce in the trade war recently, the bonhomie between the two leaders of countries with vastly different political systems was evident. And after decades of hope in America that improved relations with China may help the growing nation become more open, under Trump 2.0, it appears as if America is being pulled in China's path, rather than the other way around.

“America is undergoing a period of societal upheaval,” stated a constitutional law expert, an academic at a top Chinese university. “The top leader, Donald Trump, is attempting to mobilise the masses in order to marginalize or weaken established figures … similar to what happened in China half a century ago.”

Since Trump unleashed what's termed Department for Government Efficiency, or Doge, on federal institutions early on of his term, numerous Chinese observers see American governance through the lens of the Cultural Revolution. Whether it is the mobilisation of young people to execute presidential directives, or purging organizations of perceived enemies, the president as viewed from China has delivered Mao-style chaos to the US, though without the same levels of violence.

However since the upheaval of the initial period of the new administration subsided, a new, distinct type of political atmosphere has settled in the US, which variously seems recognizable to numerous Chinese individuals.

‘The Beacon Is Dimmer’

The most profound similarity between the US today and the East is the suppression on free speech.

A former police officer, turned CCP critic, found himself in the eye of a storm this year, similar to what he’d only previously experienced in China. He resided in the US since 2019, after escaping China because of harassment from officials.

In September, after the death of Charlie Kirk, Deng tweeted that Kirk was “despicable”. Like people across the US – many of whom were fired as a result of expressing criticism about Kirk – Deng faced a huge backlash. His family had personal info leaked and he faced allegations of being a Chinese spy attempting to divide the US.

“This incident was a real shock. I hadn't thought such a thing could happen in America – what should only happen in an authoritarian country,” Deng said.

Deng’s backlash originated from fellow social media users, rather than the state, but that kind of public monitoring bears parallels with China.

“Regarding going after those who disagree and monitoring open discourse on topics that are sensitive … It's appearing in the US,” noted an academic, an associate professor at a US university. “This is that you see in the East now as well,” she said, adding that there were now fears in America of students reporting on teachers, a form of monitoring that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

Zhang, the Peking University law professor, said that liberal Chinese intellectuals such as him once turned to America for ideals, since openly discussing internal affairs in China is risky. But now, “America is no longer some kind of ideal for Chinese liberals. America’s image has worsened generally.”

“We once viewed America as the symbol of constitutional democracy, but since the new administration, that guide appears dimmer”.

Progressive Chinese, who are often, at least in private, critical of China’s political system, now perceive it more acceptable than the US's, he stated. “It’s sort of difficult to acknowledge this reality … but post-COVID, authorities seems to be doing correct policies in environmental protection and promoting EVs and investing in hi-tech,” Zhang said, while “Western nations, exemplified by America, seems to be in decline.”

The government's acquisition of stakes in US companies has also drawn comparisons with China, where the line between state and private industry is often blurred.

Recently, authorities stated it would become an investor in a new company focused on rare earth processing, following comparable shares in additional firms deemed vital to national security. These moves have left certain stakeholders concerned that the US is embarking on a new era of state intervention in the private sector.

There are still significant distinctions between the US under Trump and the East. Last month, multiple media outlets among others refused to sign to a Pentagon policy that required reporting solely on approved news. US courts have blocked or reversed numerous Trump’s actions, an action that would be unthinkable in the nation's CCP-controlled legal system.

An analyst, the founder of a consulting firm, a China-focused advisory firm, said: “The United States might face the worst crisis of all time, far more severe than currently, and it will still be more free, more open, and liberal than the East under its leader.”

The professor observes that while many intellectuals in China were surprised to see American colleges yield to official requests concerning DEI policies and free speech on university grounds, in the East, the top universities are publicly controlled by default. University leaders, which are selected by the state, “cannot of saying no. They can’t afford defy orders.”

Still, Americans are starting to take precautions that were once confined to repressive regimes. An academic at an American college who was previously vocal on bilateral matters refused to speak for this article. He said: “The truth is, I fear of suppression in the US: I actually feel less afraid criticizing China's leader these days than say anything bad