Trump's United States Under Trump's Second Term Feels Strangely Familiar to Those Watching from China

When the standup comedian, a rising comedic talent, steps onto the stage in New York, she is not only thinking about which jokes to tell. She also weighs which topics to steer clear of. “I refrain from directly attacking the administration,” she explained. Or if she does, she makes certain it isn't captured for social media. “I'd never publicly share content where I openly disparage authorities … I believe it's a habit acquired back home.”

Wang, 39, lived in the Chinese metropolis for nearly a decade, departing in that year. In 2025, she moved to the US. Upon arrival, she embarked on an intense period of “overindulging on democracy,” going to lectures, protests, and delving into New York’s public library.

But over the past year since the president was elected again, there has been a “palpable change” in the environment, she says. “Back home, I understood the boundaries, while in the US I find myself on unstable ground.”

Her fears reflect a new climate in the US which numerous individuals from China, or those with experience in China, perceive as disturbingly similar. Enemies are ostracised. The president demands total allegiance. Reporters are targeted. Establishments are attacked.

Trump has openly expressed about his admiration for China's leader, China’s strongman leader. He's called him as “fantastic”. When they reached a brief ceasefire in the trade war on Thursday, the camaraderie between the two leaders of nations with diametrically opposed political systems became clear. And after decades of optimism in the US that closer ties with China could assist the growing nation become more open, in the current administration, it seems as if the US is shifting in the Chinese direction, rather than the other way around.

“America is undergoing an era of cultural revolution,” said Zhang Qianfan, an academic at Peking University. “The president, Donald Trump, is attempting to rally the masses in order to sideline or weaken established figures … similar to events in the country half a century ago.”

Since Trump unleashed the so-called a government streamlining body, or Doge, on federal institutions early on in office, numerous Chinese observers have viewed US politics via the perspective of China's historical period. Whether it is the rallying of the youth to carry out presidential directives, or purging organizations of perceived enemies, Trump as viewed from China has delivered disorder reminiscent of Mao to the US, though absent the same levels of force.

However since the turmoil of the initial period of the new administration has calmed, an unfamiliar, different kind of political atmosphere has emerged in the US, which in different ways seems recognizable to numerous Chinese individuals.

‘The Lighthouse Is Dimmer’

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

Deng Haiyan, now a Chinese Communist party critic, found himself in a controversy this year, similar to what he’d only previously experienced in China. Deng has lived in America since 2019, having fled China because of harassment from officials.

In September, after the death of Charlie Kirk, Deng tweeted that the individual was a “scumbag”. Like people across the US – who were fired as a result of making negative comments about Kirk – he encountered significant backlash. Relatives had personal info leaked and he was accused of espionage attempting to divide the US.

“That event surprised me deeply. I hadn't thought such a thing would occur in America – what should only happen in an authoritarian country,” Deng said.

His pile on originated from fellow social media users, rather than the government, but such of public monitoring also has similarities with China.

“In terms of targeting dissenters and monitoring open discourse on topics that are sensitive … That’s starting to emerge here,” noted an academic, a scholar at a US university. “This is observed in China today as too,” she said, stating that concerns are rising in America of students reporting on educators, a type of surveillance that has been encouraged by the CCP.

Zhang, the Peking University law professor, said that liberal Chinese intellectuals such as him used to look to the US for ideals, in part because openly discussing domestic politics in the country is risky. However, “America is no longer a ideal for progressive Chinese. America’s image has worsened generally.”

“We used to see America as the symbol of constitutional democracy, but since the new administration, that guide seems to have become less luminous”.

Progressive Chinese, who are often, at least in private, critical of China’s political system, now perceive it less objectionable than America’s, he stated. “It’s sort of difficult to acknowledge this … but post-COVID, authorities seems to be doing the right thing in environmental protection and promoting EVs and investing in hi-tech,” Zhang said, while “Western nations, exemplified by the United States, seems to be declining.”

The government's purchase of stakes in American firms has prompted comparisons with China, where the line between government and private industry is often blurred.

On Monday, authorities stated it would become a shareholder in a startup specialising in mineral refinement, after taking comparable shares in other companies it considers essential for the country's safety. These moves have made some investors concerned that America is embarking on a fresh phase of government meddling in private industry.

Yet, there remain major differences between the US under Trump and China. Last month, several news organisations among others refused to sign to a defense department rule that required reporting solely on approved news. American judiciary have halted or overturned numerous Trump’s actions, something that would be unthinkable in China’s party-dominated legal system.

Isaac Stone Fish, the founder of Strategy Risks, specializing in China, said: “America might face the worst crisis of its history, far more severe than currently, and it would remain more free, open, and more liberal than the East under its leader.”

Zhang observes that while many intellectuals in the country were surprised to see American colleges capitulate to government demands regarding DEI policies and free speech on campus, in the East, the top universities are publicly controlled inherently. University leaders, which are appointed by the government, “cannot of saying no. They dare not to be disobedient.”

Nevertheless, people in the US are beginning to take precautions previously associated with more authoritarian countries. An academic at an American college once vocal on US-China issues refused to speak for this piece. He said: “The truth is, I fear of the censorship here: I genuinely feel less afraid to criticise Xi these days than say anything bad