Trump's America During the New Administration Feels Strangely Recognizable to Those Watching from the East

As the standup comedian, a rising performer, steps onto the stage in New York, she is not only considering what humor to tell. She also weighs which topics to steer clear of. “I refrain from directly attacking the government,” she stated. And when she does, she ensures it isn't recorded for online platforms. “I would never publicly share material in which I openly disparage the government … I think it's a learned behavior from China.”

Wang, thirty-nine, resided in the Chinese metropolis for nearly ten years, leaving in that year. In 2025, she relocated to the US. When she got there, she dove into an intense period of “overindulging on democracy,” attending lectures, demonstrations, and delving into New York’s library system.

However over the past year since Donald Trump returned to office for the second time, there's been a “palpable change” in the environment, she notes. “Back home, I understood the boundaries, whereas here I find myself on shifting sands.”

Wang’s concerns mirror an emerging climate in the US which many Chinese, or those with experience in the country, perceive as disturbingly similar. Enemies face exclusion. The president demands total allegiance. Reporters face scrutiny. Establishments are attacked.

The president has openly expressed about his admiration for China's leader, China’s authoritarian figure. He has described Xi as a “great guy”. When they reached a brief ceasefire in economic tensions recently, the bonhomie between both figures of countries with vastly different political systems became clear. Following years of hope in America that closer ties with China may help the rising power become more open, under Trump 2.0, it seems that the US is shifting in the Chinese direction, rather than vice versa.

“America is experiencing a period of societal upheaval,” stated a constitutional law expert, an academic at a top Chinese university. “The top leader, Trump, is attempting to mobilise the grassroots in order to marginalize or weaken the elite … similar to events in the country half a century ago.”

Since Trump unleashed the so-called Department for Government Efficiency, or Doge, on federal institutions early on in office, many in China see American governance via the perspective of the Cultural Revolution. Whether it is the mobilisation of young people to carry out presidential directives, or purging organizations of those deemed opposition, Trump as viewed from China has delivered disorder reminiscent of Mao to America, albeit without equivalent degrees of force.

But since the turmoil of the initial period under Trump has calmed, an unfamiliar, different kind of climate has emerged in the country, which in different ways also feels familiar to numerous Chinese individuals.

‘The Lighthouse Has Become Less Bright’

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

Deng Haiyan, now a CCP critic, found himself in the eye of a storm this year, similar to what he once faced in his homeland. Deng has lived in America for several years, after escaping China due to pressure from the authorities.

Last fall, following the passing of a public figure, he posted that the individual was “despicable”. Like people nationwide – many of whom were fired for making negative comments about Kirk – Deng faced a huge backlash. His family was doxed and he was accused of espionage attempting to divide the US.

“This incident was a real shock. I hadn't thought such a thing could happen in the United States – something that typically happens in an authoritarian country,” Deng said.

His pile on originated from fellow social media users, instead of the government, but that kind of social surveillance also has parallels with the East.

“In terms of going after dissenters and monitoring public speech about issues that are sensitive … It's appearing here,” noted Maria Repnikova, a scholar at Georgia State University. “This is observed in the East now as well,” she added, stating that concerns are rising in the US of students reporting on teachers, a type of surveillance promoted by the CCP.

Zhang, the legal expert, explained that progressive thinkers like himself once turned to America for ideals, since public debate on domestic politics in China is risky. However, “America is no longer some kind of god for progressive Chinese. America’s image has worsened across the board.”

“We used to see America as the symbol of constitutional democracy, but since the new administration, this lighthouse appears dimmer”.

Progressive Chinese, who are often, behind closed doors, skeptical about the nation's governance, are increasingly finding it more acceptable than the US's, Zhang said. “It’s sort of painful to accept this … but post-COVID, authorities appears to be pursuing correct policies in environmental protection and promoting EVs and tech investment,” Zhang said, while “Western nations, as represented by the United States, seems to be declining.”

The government's purchase of shares in American firms has also drawn comparisons with the East, where the distinction between state and private industry is frequently unclear.

Recently, authorities announced it will take an investor in a new company specialising in rare earth processing, following comparable shares in additional firms it considers essential for the country's safety. These moves have left some investors concerned that America is entering a fresh phase of state intervention in private industry.

Yet, there remain significant distinctions between Trump’s America and the East. Last month, several news organisations including the Guardian refused to sign to a defense department rule that demanded reporting solely on approved news. US courts have blocked or overturned many of presidential measures, an action that is impossible in China’s party-dominated legal system.

Isaac Stone Fish, who established of a consulting firm, specializing in China, commented: “America could descend into its gravest challenge 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 while numerous scholars in the country were surprised to see American colleges yield to government demands regarding diversity and inclusion practices and open discourse on campus, in China, the top universities are publicly controlled inherently. University leaders, which are appointed by the government, “cannot refuse. They dare not defy orders.”

Still, people in the US are beginning to take precautions that were once confined to more authoritarian countries. An academic at a US university who was previously vocal on bilateral matters refused to be interviewed for this article. He said: “The truth is, I fear of the censorship in the US: I genuinely feel more comfortable criticizing China's leader now than say anything bad