The United States Under Trump's Second Term Seems Oddly Familiar to Observers from the East

When Vickie Wang, a rising comedic talent, takes her platform in New York, she is not just considering which jokes to deliver. Additionally, she weighs what subjects to steer clear of. “I refrain from openly criticizing the government,” she stated. And when she does, she makes certain it's not captured for social media. “I'd never publicly share material where I directly criticize authorities … I believe it's a habit acquired back home.”

The comedian, thirty-nine, lived in Shanghai for almost ten years, leaving in that year. By 2025, she moved to the US. Upon arrival, she embarked on a frenzy of “revenge bingeing on freedom,” going to lectures, protests, and delving into New York’s public library.

However in the year after the president returned to office for the second time, there has been a noticeable shift in the environment, she says. “Back home, I knew where the line was, while here I'm standing on unstable ground.”

Wang’s fears mirror an emerging climate in America which numerous individuals from China, or people who have lived in China, find disturbingly similar. Opponents face exclusion. The leader demands total allegiance. Reporters face scrutiny. Institutions come under fire.

The president has not been shy regarding his respect for China's leader, China’s strongman leader. He has described him as a “great guy”. When they reached a temporary truce in economic tensions recently, the camaraderie between both figures of countries with vastly different political systems became clear. Following years of optimism in the US that improved relations with the East may help the rising power to liberalise, under Trump 2.0, it appears as if the US is being pulled in China's path, instead of vice versa.

“The United States is experiencing a period of societal upheaval,” stated Zhang Qianfan, an academic at Peking University. “The president, Trump, is trying to rally the grassroots in order to marginalize or undermine established figures … reminiscent of what happened in the country half a century ago.”

Ever since the administration initiated the so-called 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. Whether it is the rallying of the youth to carry out the leader’s will, or purging organizations of those deemed opposition, the president 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, a new, distinct type of political atmosphere has emerged in the country, which variously seems recognizable to numerous Chinese people.

‘The Beacon Is Dimmer’

The most profound similarity between the US today and the East is the crackdown on open expression.

Deng Haiyan, turned Chinese Communist party critic, ended up in the eye of a storm recently, the likes of which he once faced in China. Deng resided in the US since 2019, having fled the country due to pressure from the authorities.

Last fall, following the passing of Charlie Kirk, Deng tweeted that the individual was “despicable”. Similar to others nationwide – who were fired for expressing criticism about Kirk – he encountered a huge backlash. Relatives was doxed and he faced allegations of espionage seeking to create division.

“That event surprised me deeply. I hadn't thought such a thing could happen in the United States – what should only happen in an authoritarian country,” he commented.

Deng’s pile on came from online peers, instead of the government, but that kind of social surveillance bears parallels with the East.

“Regarding going after dissenters and monitoring open discourse about issues that are sensitive … It's appearing here,” noted Maria Repnikova, a scholar at Georgia State University. “That’s something that you see in China today as well,” she added, stating that concerns are rising in America of students reporting on educators, a form of surveillance that has been encouraged by Chinese authorities.

Zhang, the legal expert, explained that liberal Chinese intellectuals such as him once turned to the US for political inspiration, in part because openly discussing domestic politics in China is dangerous. But now, “The US isn't some kind of ideal for progressive Chinese. The US's reputation has worsened across the board.”

“We once viewed America as the symbol of democratic governance, but since the new administration, that guide appears dimmer”.

Chinese liberals, who are often, behind closed doors, skeptical about the nation's governance, now perceive it less objectionable than America’s, Zhang said. “It's somewhat painful to accept this reality … but after the pandemic, authorities seems to be doing correct policies in improving the environment and promoting EVs and tech investment,” Zhang said, while “Western nations, exemplified by America, seems to be declining.”

The Trump administration’s acquisition of shares in American firms has also drawn parallels with the East, where the distinction between state and private industry is often blurred.

On Monday, authorities stated it will take an investor in a new company focused on mineral refinement, after taking similar stakes in other companies it considers essential for national security. The deals have left some investors nervous that the US is embarking on a fresh phase of government meddling in the private sector.

There are still significant distinctions between Trump’s America and the East. Last month, multiple media outlets among others refused to sign to a Pentagon policy that demanded reporting solely on government-authorised information. US courts have blocked or overturned many of presidential measures, something that is unthinkable in the nation's CCP-controlled legal system.

An analyst, who established of Strategy Risks, a China-focused advisory firm, said: “The United States could descend into its gravest challenge of all time, orders of magnitudes worse than currently, and it will still be freer, more open, and more liberal than the East under its leader.”

Zhang notes that although numerous scholars in the country were shocked to see American colleges yield to official requests concerning DEI policies and open discourse on campus, in the East, leading institutions are publicly controlled by default. University leaders, which are selected by the government, “have no liberty of saying no. They can’t afford to be disobedient.”

Still, Americans are beginning to take precautions previously confined to repressive regimes. One professor at a US university once vocal on US-China issues declined to be interviewed for this piece. He stated: “Honestly, I am scared of the censorship here: I genuinely feel less afraid to criticise Xi these days than say anything bad