The United States During Trump's Second Term Feels Oddly Recognizable to Those Watching from the East

When the standup comedian, an emerging performer, steps onto the stage in New York, she is not only considering which jokes to tell. Additionally, she carefully considers which topics to steer clear of. “I refrain from directly criticizing the administration,” she stated. And when she does, she ensures it isn't captured for online platforms. “I would never publicly share content where I directly criticize the government … I think this is a habit acquired back home.”

The comedian, 39, lived in the Chinese metropolis for almost ten years, departing in that year. By 2025, she moved to America. When she got there, she dove into a frenzy of “overindulging on freedom,” going to talks, demonstrations, and exploring New York’s library system.

But over the past year since the president was elected for the second time, there's been a “palpable change” in the environment, she says. “Back home, I understood where the line was, whereas in the US I find myself on unstable ground.”

Wang’s fears mirror an emerging political reality in America which many Chinese, or people who have lived in the country, find eerily similar. Enemies are ostracised. The president expects absolute loyalty. Journalists are targeted. Institutions come under fire.

Trump has not been shy about his admiration for Xi Jinping, the nation's strongman leader. He has described him as a “great guy”. When they reached a brief ceasefire in economic tensions recently, the camaraderie between both figures of countries with diametrically opposed political systems was evident. And after decades of optimism in the US that closer ties with China could assist the rising power to liberalise, under Trump 2.0, it seems as if the US is shifting in China's path, rather than the other way around.

“The United States is experiencing an era of cultural revolution,” said Zhang Qianfan, a professor at Peking University. “The top leader, Donald Trump, is attempting to rally the grassroots in order to sideline or undermine the elite … reminiscent of what happened in China half a century ago.”

Ever since Trump initiated the so-called a government streamlining body, or the agency, on the Washington bureaucracy early on of his term, many in China see American governance via the perspective of the Cultural Revolution. Whether it is the rallying of young people to execute presidential directives, or purging institutions of those deemed opposition, Trump from a Chinese viewpoint has delivered disorder reminiscent of Mao to America, though absent equivalent degrees of force.

However after the upheaval of the initial period under Trump subsided, a new, distinct type of climate has emerged in the US, which in different ways also feels recognizable to numerous Chinese people.

‘The Beacon Is Dimmer’

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

Deng Haiyan, now a CCP dissenter, found himself in a controversy recently, the likes of which he once faced in China. Deng resided in America for several years, after escaping the country due to harassment from the authorities.

In September, after the death of a public figure, he posted that Kirk was a “scumbag”. Similar to others nationwide – many of whom lost their jobs as a result of making negative comments about Kirk – he encountered significant backlash. Relatives was doxed and he was accused of espionage attempting to divide the US.

“This incident surprised me deeply. I never imagined that something like this would occur in America – what typically happens in a repressive state,” he commented.

Deng’s backlash originated from online peers, rather than the state, but such of social surveillance also has parallels with the East.

“Regarding going after dissenters and starting to surveil public speech on topics deemed controversial … That’s starting to emerge in the US,” said an academic, a scholar at Georgia State University. “That’s something observed in China today as too,” she said, adding that there were now fears in the US of pupils informing against teachers, a form of monitoring that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

The professor, the legal expert, said that liberal Chinese intellectuals like himself used to look to America for political inspiration, since public debate on internal affairs in China is dangerous. But now, “The US isn't a god for Chinese liberals. America’s image has declined across the board.”

“We once viewed America as the beacon of constitutional democracy, but since the new administration, that guide seems to have become dimmer”.

Chinese liberals, who are often, at least in private, skeptical about China’s political system, now perceive it less objectionable than the US's, Zhang said. “It’s sort of difficult to acknowledge this reality … but post-COVID, authorities appears to be pursuing correct policies in environmental protection and promoting EVs and tech investment,” Zhang said, while “the West, exemplified by America, appear in decline.”

The Trump administration’s acquisition of stakes in US companies has prompted comparisons with China, where the line between state and business is frequently unclear.

On Monday, authorities stated it will take a shareholder in a new company focused on mineral refinement, following similar stakes in other companies it considers essential for the country's safety. The deals have made certain stakeholders concerned that the US is embarking on a fresh phase of government meddling in private industry.

Yet, there remain major differences between the US under Trump and China. In October, several news organisations including the Guardian declined to agree to a Pentagon policy that required they only report on government-authorised news. US courts have halted or reversed many of Trump’s actions, something that is impossible in China’s CCP-controlled judiciary.

Isaac Stone Fish, the founder of Strategy Risks, specializing in China, commented: “America might face its gravest challenge of all time, far more severe than currently, and it will still be freer, open, and more liberal than China under Xi.”

Zhang notes that while many intellectuals in the country 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 publicly controlled inherently. Administrators, which are selected by the government, “have no liberty of saying no. They dare not defy orders.”

Nevertheless, Americans are starting to adopt measures previously associated with repressive regimes. One professor at a US university who was previously vocal on bilateral matters refused to speak for this piece. He stated: “Honestly, I fear of the censorship here: I actually feel less afraid criticizing China's leader these days than say anything bad