The United States During Trump's Second Term Seems Strangely Familiar to Observers from the East

When the standup comedian, an emerging comedic talent, takes the stage in New York, she's not only considering what humor to deliver. She also carefully considers which topics to avoid. “I refrain from directly criticizing the administration,” she explained. Or if she ventures there, she ensures it's not recorded for online platforms. “I'd never publish openly content in which I openly disparage authorities … I believe it's a habit from China.”

The comedian, thirty-nine, lived in the Chinese metropolis for nearly ten years, departing in that year. In 2025, she relocated to America. When she got there, she embarked on a frenzy of “overindulging on democracy,” going to lectures, protests, and delving into New York’s public library.

However in the year after the president was elected for the second time, there has been a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, she says. “Back home, I understood the boundaries, while here I find myself on shifting sands.”

Wang’s fears mirror a new political reality in America which many Chinese, or those who have lived in China, perceive as eerily familiar. Opponents face exclusion. The president demands absolute loyalty. Journalists are targeted. Institutions come under fire.

The president has not been shy about his admiration for China's leader, the nation's authoritarian figure. He has described him as “fantastic”. When they reached a temporary truce in the trade war on Thursday, the camaraderie between the two leaders of countries with diametrically opposed governance models was evident. Following years of hope in the US that improved relations with the East could assist the rising power to liberalise, in the current administration, it appears as if America is shifting in the Chinese direction, instead of vice versa.

“America is experiencing a period of cultural revolution,” said Zhang Qianfan, a professor at Peking University. “The president, Trump, is attempting to rally the grassroots to sideline or weaken the elite … similar to what happened in China half a century ago.”

Since Trump initiated what's termed Department for Government Efficiency, or the agency, on federal institutions early on in office, many in China see American governance via the perspective of the Cultural Revolution. Be it the mobilisation of young people to execute presidential directives, or purging organizations of perceived enemies, Trump from a Chinese viewpoint has delivered Mao-style chaos to the US, though absent the same levels of violence.

However since the upheaval of the early months of the new administration has calmed, a new, distinct type of climate has settled in the country, which variously also feels recognizable to numerous Chinese people.

‘The Lighthouse Is Dimmer’

The deepest parallel between Trump’s America and China is the suppression on free speech.

A former police officer, now a Chinese Communist party critic, found himself in the eye of a storm recently, similar to what he once faced in China. He resided in America since 2019, having fled the country due to harassment from officials.

Last fall, after the death of Charlie Kirk, he posted that the individual was “despicable”. Similar to others across the US – many of whom were fired for making negative comments regarding him – he encountered a huge backlash. His family was doxed and he faced allegations of espionage attempting to divide the US.

“That event was a real shock. I hadn't thought such a thing would occur in America – something that should only happen in an authoritarian country,” he commented.

Deng’s pile on originated from fellow social media users, instead of the state, but such of public monitoring also has parallels with China.

“Regarding targeting those who disagree and monitoring public speech about issues deemed controversial … It's appearing here,” said Maria Repnikova, an associate professor at Georgia State University. “This is that you see in the East now as well,” she said, stating that concerns are rising in the US of students reporting on teachers, a form of surveillance that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

The professor, the legal expert, explained that progressive thinkers such as him once turned to America for ideals, in part because public debate on domestic politics in China is risky. However, “The US isn't a god for progressive Chinese. The US's reputation has worsened across the board.”

“We once viewed the US as the symbol of constitutional democracy, but after Trump took power, this lighthouse appears less luminous”.

Chinese liberals, typically, at least in private, skeptical about the nation's governance, now perceive it more acceptable than America’s, Zhang said. “It’s sort of painful to accept this … but post-COVID, the government appears to be pursuing the right thing in environmental protection and promoting EVs and investing in hi-tech,” Zhang said, while “the West, as represented by America, appear declining.”

The government's acquisition of stakes in American firms has also drawn parallels with the East, where the distinction between government and business is frequently unclear.

On Monday, the US government stated it would become an investor in a new company specialising in mineral refinement, following comparable shares in other companies it considers essential for the country's safety. The deals have made some investors concerned that the US is embarking on a new era of government meddling in private industry.

There are still major differences between Trump’s America and China. In October, multiple media outlets among others refused to sign to a Pentagon policy that required they only report on government-authorised information. American judiciary have blocked or overturned numerous Trump’s actions, something that is unthinkable in the nation's CCP-controlled legal system.

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

The professor notes that although numerous scholars in China were surprised to see US universities capitulate to government demands concerning diversity and inclusion practices and free speech on campus, in China, leading institutions are publicly controlled by default. University leaders, who are selected by the government, “cannot refuse. They dare not defy orders.”

Nevertheless, Americans are beginning to take precautions that were once associated with more authoritarian countries. One professor at a US university who was previously vocal on bilateral matters refused to speak for this piece. He said: “The truth is, I am scared of the censorship in the US: I actually feel more comfortable to criticise Xi now than say anything bad