The United States Under Trump's Second Term Feels Oddly Recognizable to Observers from China

As the standup comedian, a rising performer, takes the stage in New York, she's not only thinking about what humor to tell. She also carefully considers what subjects to avoid. “I don't engage in directly criticizing the administration,” she stated. And when she ventures there, she makes certain it's not captured for social media. “I would never publicly share content in which I openly disparage authorities … I think it's a habit from China.”

Wang, 39, resided in the Chinese metropolis for almost ten years, leaving in that year. In 2025, she moved to America. When she got there, she dove into an intense period of “overindulging on democracy,” going to talks, protests, and exploring the city's library system.

But over the past year after Donald Trump was elected for the second time, there's been a “palpable change” in the atmosphere, she notes. “In China, I understood where the line was, whereas here I'm standing on shifting sands.”

Wang’s fears reflect a new political reality in America which numerous individuals from China, or those who have lived in the country, perceive as eerily similar. Opponents face exclusion. The president expects total allegiance. Journalists face scrutiny. Institutions are attacked.

The president has not been shy about his admiration for China's leader, the nation's strongman leader. He has described Xi as a “great guy”. When they reached a brief ceasefire in economic tensions on Thursday, the bonhomie between the two leaders of countries with vastly different political systems was evident. Following years of optimism in the US that closer ties with the East may help the rising power become more open, in the current administration, it appears as if America is being pulled in the Chinese direction, rather than the other way around.

“The United States is undergoing a period of cultural revolution,” said Zhang Qianfan, an academic at Peking University. “The top leader, Trump, is trying to rally the grassroots to sideline or undermine the elite … similar to events in the country half a century ago.”

Since the administration initiated what's termed Department for Government Efficiency, or the agency, on federal institutions early on of his term, many in China have viewed American governance via the perspective of the Cultural Revolution. Be it the mobilisation of young people to carry out the leader’s will, or cleansing institutions of those deemed opposition, the president as viewed from China has brought disorder reminiscent of Mao to America, albeit absent the same levels of force.

However since the turmoil of the early months under Trump subsided, an unfamiliar, different kind of climate has emerged in the US, which in different ways also feels familiar to numerous Chinese people.

‘The Lighthouse Has Become Less Bright’

The most profound parallel between Trump’s America and China is the suppression on open expression.

Deng Haiyan, now a CCP dissenter, ended up in a controversy recently, similar to what he once faced in his homeland. Deng has lived in America for several years, having fled China due to pressure from officials.

In September, following the passing of a public figure, he posted that Kirk was “despicable”. Like people across the US – who were fired as a result of making negative comments regarding him – Deng faced a huge backlash. Relatives was doxed and he was accused of espionage attempting to create division.

“This incident surprised me deeply. I hadn't thought that something like this could happen in America – something that should only happen in an authoritarian country,” he commented.

His pile on originated from fellow social media users, rather than the government, but that kind of social surveillance bears parallels with the East.

“In terms of targeting those who disagree and monitoring public speech on topics that are sensitive … That’s starting to emerge in the US,” said Maria Repnikova, a scholar at Georgia State University. “This is observed in China now as too,” she added, stating that concerns are rising in the US of students reporting on teachers, a form of surveillance promoted by the CCP.

The professor, the legal expert, said that liberal Chinese intellectuals like himself once turned to America for political inspiration, in part because public debate on domestic politics in the country is dangerous. However, “The US isn't a god for progressive Chinese. America’s image has worsened generally.”

“We used to see America as the beacon of constitutional democracy, but after Trump took power, this lighthouse seems to have become dimmer”.

Chinese liberals, typically, behind closed doors, skeptical about the nation's governance, are increasingly finding it more acceptable than the US's, he stated. “It’s sort of difficult to acknowledge this … but post-COVID, authorities seems to be doing correct policies in environmental protection and promoting EVs and tech investment,” he noted, while “the West, as represented by America, seems to be in decline.”

The government's purchase of stakes in American firms has also drawn comparisons with China, where the line between government and private industry is frequently unclear.

On Monday, the US government announced it would become an investor in a new company focused on mineral refinement, after taking similar stakes in other companies it considers vital to national security. The deals have made some investors nervous that the US is embarking on a fresh phase of government meddling in the private sector.

Yet, there remain significant distinctions between the US under Trump and China. In October, several news organisations including the Guardian declined to agree to a defense department rule that demanded reporting solely on government-authorised information. American judiciary have halted or overturned many of Trump’s actions, something that is impossible in the nation's CCP-controlled legal system.

An analyst, who established of Strategy Risks, a China-focused advisory firm, commented: “The United States might face its gravest challenge of all time, far more severe than currently, and it will still be freer, more open, and more liberal than the East under its leader.”

The professor notes that although numerous scholars in China were surprised to see American colleges yield to government demands regarding diversity and inclusion practices and free speech on campus, in the East, leading institutions are all state-owned inherently. Administrators, which are selected by the government, “cannot of saying no. They dare not to be disobedient.”

Still, people in the US are starting to adopt measures previously confined to repressive regimes. One professor at a US university once outspoken on bilateral matters refused to speak for this piece. He said: “The truth is, I fear of the censorship in the US: I actually feel less afraid to criticise Xi these days than say anything bad