The America During Trump's Second Term Feels Oddly Familiar to Those Watching from the East

When the standup comedian, an emerging performer, steps onto her platform in New York, she is not only considering what humor to tell. Additionally, she carefully considers what subjects to avoid. “I don't engage in directly attacking the administration,” she explained. And when she does, she makes certain it isn't recorded for social media. “I'd never publicly share material where I directly criticize the government … I believe it's a learned behavior acquired back home.”

Wang, thirty-nine, lived in the Chinese metropolis for nearly a decade, leaving in that year. By 2025, she moved to America. When she got there, she embarked on an intense period of “overindulging on freedom,” going to talks, demonstrations, and exploring the city's public library.

However in the year since Donald Trump returned to office for the second time, there has been a “palpable change” in the atmosphere, she says. “In China, I understood the boundaries, while in the US I'm standing on unstable ground.”

Her fears mirror a new political reality in the US which numerous individuals from China, or people with experience in the country, find eerily familiar. Opponents are ostracised. The president demands total allegiance. Reporters are targeted. Establishments are attacked.

Trump has not been shy regarding his respect for China's leader, the nation's authoritarian figure. He has described him as “fantastic”. As they agreed a temporary truce in economic tensions on Thursday, the bonhomie between both figures of countries with vastly different political systems became clear. Following years of optimism in the US that closer ties with the East could assist the growing nation become more open, under Trump 2.0, it appears as if the US is shifting in the Chinese direction, instead of the other way around.

“America is experiencing a period of societal upheaval,” stated Zhang Qianfan, a professor at Peking University. “The top leader, Trump, is trying to mobilise the grassroots to sideline or weaken the elite … similar to events in the country half a century ago.”

Since the administration unleashed what's termed Department for Government Efficiency, or Doge, on federal institutions early on of his term, many in China have viewed US politics via the perspective of China's historical period. Whether it is the mobilisation of the youth to carry out the leader’s will, or cleansing organizations of those deemed opposition, Trump from a Chinese viewpoint has delivered disorder reminiscent of Mao to the US, though absent equivalent degrees of force.

But since the upheaval of the early months under Trump subsided, an unfamiliar, distinct type of political atmosphere has emerged in the US, which variously seems familiar to many Chinese people.

‘The Beacon Is Less Bright’

The most profound parallel between Trump’s America and the East is the suppression on open expression.

A former police officer, turned CCP critic, found himself in a controversy recently, similar to what he once faced in China. He resided in America for several years, after escaping China because of harassment from the authorities.

Last fall, following the passing of a public figure, Deng tweeted that the individual was “despicable”. Like people nationwide – who lost their jobs as a result of expressing criticism about Kirk – Deng faced a huge backlash. His family had personal info leaked and he faced allegations of espionage attempting to create division.

“This incident surprised me deeply. I never imagined such a thing could happen in the United States – something that should only happen in a repressive state,” he commented.

His backlash came from fellow social media users, instead of the state, but such of public monitoring also has similarities with China.

“Regarding going after dissenters and starting to surveil open discourse about issues deemed controversial … That’s starting to emerge in the US,” noted Maria Repnikova, an associate professor at a US university. “This is observed in the East today as too,” she said, stating that concerns are rising in the US of pupils informing against teachers, a type of surveillance promoted by the CCP.

Zhang, the legal expert, said that progressive thinkers such as him used to look to the US for ideals, since public debate on internal affairs in China is dangerous. But now, “The US isn't a ideal for Chinese liberals. America’s image has worsened across the board.”

“We used to see America as the beacon of democratic governance, but after Trump took power, that guide appears less luminous”.

Chinese liberals, who are often, at least in private, critical of China’s political system, now perceive it less objectionable than America’s, Zhang said. “It’s sort of painful to accept this … but post-COVID, authorities seems to be doing the right thing in environmental protection and promoting EVs and investing in hi-tech,” Zhang said, while “the West, as represented by America, appear in decline.”

The government's acquisition of stakes in US companies has prompted parallels with the East, where the line between state and business is frequently unclear.

On Monday, the US government stated it will take an investor in a new company focused on rare earth processing, following similar stakes in additional firms it considers vital to national security. The deals have left certain stakeholders concerned that the US is embarking on a fresh phase of state intervention in the private sector.

Yet, there remain significant distinctions between Trump’s America and the East. In October, several news organisations including the Guardian declined to agree to a defense department rule that demanded reporting solely on approved information. American judiciary have blocked or reversed numerous Trump’s actions, something that is unthinkable in the nation's CCP-controlled judiciary.

An analyst, the founder of a consulting firm, a China-focused advisory firm, commented: “America might face the worst crisis of its history, orders of magnitudes worse than currently, and it would remain more free, more open, and liberal than the East under its leader.”

Zhang notes that while numerous scholars in the country were surprised to see US universities yield to government demands regarding diversity and inclusion practices and free speech on university grounds, in the East, the top universities are publicly controlled by default. Administrators, who are appointed by the state, “have no liberty refuse. They dare not to be disobedient.”

Still, Americans are beginning to take precautions that were once confined to repressive regimes. One professor at a US university once outspoken on US-China issues declined to speak for this article. He said: “Honestly, I am scared of suppression here: I actually feel less afraid to criticise Xi these days than say anything bad