Trump's America Under Trump's Second Term Seems Strangely Familiar to Observers from the East

As the standup comedian, a rising comedic talent, steps onto the stage in New York, she's not just thinking about which jokes to tell. She also weighs which topics to steer clear of. “I refrain from openly criticizing the administration,” she explained. Or if she does, she ensures it's not recorded for online platforms. “I'd never publicly share content in which I directly criticize authorities … I believe this is a habit from China.”

Wang, 39, lived in Shanghai for almost a decade, departing in that year. By 2025, she moved to America. When she got there, she dove into a frenzy of “revenge bingeing on freedom,” going to talks, demonstrations, and delving into the city's library system.

However in the year after the president returned to office again, there's been a “palpable change” in the atmosphere, she notes. “Back home, I understood where the line was, whereas here I'm standing on shifting sands.”

Wang’s concerns mirror an emerging political reality in the US which numerous individuals from China, or those with experience in China, find disturbingly similar. Opponents face exclusion. The president demands total allegiance. Reporters face scrutiny. Institutions are attacked.

Trump has openly expressed about his admiration for Xi Jinping, China’s strongman leader. He has described him as “fantastic”. As they agreed a brief ceasefire in economic tensions on Thursday, the bonhomie between the two leaders of nations with vastly different political systems became clear. Following years of hope in America that closer ties with the East may help the growing nation become more open, in the current administration, it appears as if America is being pulled in China's path, instead of vice versa.

“The United States is experiencing an era of cultural revolution,” said Zhang Qianfan, an academic at a top Chinese university. “The top leader, Donald Trump, is attempting to mobilise the masses to sideline or undermine the elite … similar to what happened in the country decades past.”

Ever since Trump initiated the so-called Department for Government Efficiency, or the agency, on the Washington bureaucracy early on of his term, numerous Chinese observers see US politics via the perspective of China's historical period. Be it the mobilisation of the youth to execute presidential directives, or cleansing institutions of perceived enemies, the president as viewed from China has delivered disorder reminiscent of Mao to America, though absent the same levels of force.

However since the upheaval of the early months of the new administration has calmed, an unfamiliar, distinct type of climate has emerged in the US, which variously seems recognizable to numerous Chinese individuals.

‘The Lighthouse Is Less Bright’

The deepest similarity between Trump’s America and the East is the crackdown on open expression.

A former police officer, turned Chinese Communist party dissenter, ended up in the eye of a storm this year, similar to what he once faced in China. He resided in the US since 2019, after escaping the country because of harassment from the authorities.

In September, after the death of a public figure, he posted that the individual was “despicable”. Like people across the US – many of whom were fired for expressing criticism about Kirk – he encountered significant backlash. Relatives had personal info leaked and he faced allegations of espionage attempting to divide the US.

“That event surprised me deeply. I hadn't thought that something like this would occur in America – what should only happen in an authoritarian country,” he commented.

His backlash originated from fellow social media users, rather than the state, but such of public monitoring also has parallels with the East.

“Regarding going after those who disagree and monitoring open discourse on topics deemed controversial … It's appearing here,” said an academic, an associate professor at Georgia State University. “That’s something that you see in the East today as well,” she added, stating that there were now fears in the US of students reporting on teachers, a form of surveillance that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

Zhang, the Peking University law professor, explained that liberal Chinese intellectuals like himself used to look to America for ideals, since public debate on internal affairs in the country is risky. But now, “The US isn't a god for Chinese liberals. America’s image has worsened across the board.”

“We used to see America as the symbol of democratic governance, but since the new administration, this lighthouse appears less luminous”.

Chinese liberals, typically, at least in private, skeptical about China’s political system, are increasingly finding it more acceptable than America’s, Zhang said. “It's somewhat painful to accept this … but post-COVID, the government appears to be pursuing correct policies in improving the environment and promoting EVs and investing in hi-tech,” he noted, while “the West, exemplified by America, appear declining.”

The Trump administration’s acquisition of shares in US companies has also drawn parallels with China, where the line between state and business is often blurred.

On Monday, the US government stated it would become a shareholder in a startup specialising in mineral refinement, following similar stakes in other companies deemed vital to national security. These moves have made some investors nervous 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 the East. Last month, several news organisations including the Guardian refused to sign to a Pentagon policy that demanded they only report on approved news. US courts have halted or overturned numerous Trump’s actions, something that would be impossible in the nation's party-dominated legal system.

Isaac Stone Fish, who established of Strategy Risks, specializing in China, commented: “The United States might face its gravest challenge of its history, orders of magnitudes worse than currently, and it will still be freer, more open, and liberal than the East under its leader.”

Zhang observes that while many intellectuals in the country were surprised to see American colleges yield to official requests concerning DEI policies and free speech on university grounds, in the East, leading institutions are all state-owned by default. University leaders, who are appointed by the government, “have no liberty of saying no. They can’t afford to be disobedient.”

Nevertheless, Americans are starting to adopt measures that were once associated with repressive regimes. An academic at a US university once outspoken on US-China issues refused to be interviewed for this piece. He stated: “Honestly, I fear of the censorship in the US: I genuinely feel less afraid criticizing China's leader these days than say anything bad