Despite never having visited the United States, Ryan Chen honed his English skills through high school studies in Chongqing and by devouring pirated American sitcoms like ‘Friends’ and ‘Two and a Half Men’ during his college years. Now, he’s famously known as ‘Chinese Trump,’ capturing millions of followers on social media both domestically and internationally with his uncanny, spot-on impersonations and lighthearted parodies of the American president.
For decades, China has shown a remarkable knack for emulating American trends, from countless knockoff fashion items to cultural fantasies. Even the Communist Party has adopted this approach, framing its national aspirations as the ‘China Dream’ – a clear linguistic echo of its powerful American counterpart. However, Ryan Chen, a 42-year-old business manager at an architectural design firm in Chongqing, has elevated this art of imitation to an entirely new dimension, and it’s far from a mere tribute.
Chen recalls always having a natural talent for mimicry, which often landed him in hot water for imitating teachers during his school days. He meticulously perfected the unique speech patterns, mannerisms, and hand gestures of the American president by analyzing countless video clips and studying the performances of renowned Trump impersonators, such as American comedian Matt Friend.
“My intention is purely to be humorous, not to cause offense,” explained the entertainer, Chen Rui, during an interview in Chongqing. He emphasized that he would never impersonate Chinese political figures, who are typically reserved and lack the distinctive comedic traits he seeks. Furthermore, their public speaking style doesn’t align with his primary talent: flawless, accent-free English.
Among Chen’s creative works is a video shared on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok, where he boasts 1.2 million followers) documenting his visit to the Great Wall near Beijing. In character as Mr. Trump, Chen famously remarked that ‘it is a lot better than our wall’ and humorously claimed it had successfully repelled ‘Mexi-golians’ – a portmanteau of Mexican and Mongolian. When his companion pointed out that ‘Mexi-golians’ aren’t real, Chen, staying in character, seamlessly shifted to another absurd question about the Great Wall: ‘Did they make the Mongolians pay for it?’
While his videos feature Chinese subtitles, much of his comedic impact comes from nonverbal cues, such as his signature Trump-esque scowl and pout. Though he can also impersonate former Presidents Biden and Obama, and Vice President JD Vance, Chen believes their more conventional demeanors don’t offer enough material for compelling comedy.
Acknowledging the need for caution, Chen deliberately avoids both American and Chinese political commentary. He observed that while Chinese audiences may not be deeply invested in politics, they are certainly captivated by Mr. Trump’s persona as a source of entertainment. Tony He, a clothing store owner and fervent admirer from Chongqing, echoed the sentiment about political sensitivity. ‘He’s smart; discussing politics is dangerous,’ Mr. He stated, adding that Chinese fascination with Mr. Trump stems from his unique character rather than his policies – which, notably, include threats of steep tariffs on Chinese products in retaliation for perceived ‘sinister and hostile’ actions.
“Many Chinese don’t view Trump as inherently good or bad; he’s simply consistently captivating,” Mr. He explained. “His rhetoric and thought process stand apart from other American presidents.”
Chinese law strictly prohibits the commercial exploitation of party leaders’ names and images. This regulation led to trouble for a Mao Zedong impersonator in 2018, whose act, complete with a gray Mao suit and a mocking Hunan accent, sparked public outcry from loyal followers of China’s revolutionary leader, resulting in an apology from event organizers.
Chen, the Trump impersonator, stated plainly: “I am merely an imitator, and I understand my boundaries.” “My guiding principle is that if it isn’t funny, it’s not worth doing,” he elaborated, even recalling finding Mr. Trump’s United Nations speech ‘too boring’ for his comedic material.
Chen’s primary challenge lies in monetizing his unique talent, a task complicated by a Californian plagiarist, also from Chongqing, who began re-uploading his videos from Douyin to TikTok. The plagiarist even proposed a 50/50 revenue split, but Chen, leveraging a ChatGPT-generated cease and desist letter designed to mimic a lawyer’s official warning, successfully prompted the fake account to remove his content.
While he has secured some income through featuring products like Chongqing Beer in his videos and a paid appearance at a Munich auto show for a Chinese electric car manufacturer, Chen still struggles to fully capitalize on his growing celebrity. “The core dilemma remains,” he mused, “how exactly do live streamers achieve wealth?”
Unlike previous eras, China’s state-controlled media no longer openly mocks foreign leaders. However, despite stringent censorship, Chinese social media platforms are awash with unrestrained satire of the American president, even featuring AI-generated videos depicting Mr. Trump, Mr. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Elon Musk laboring on assembly lines in bleak factories.
Chen clarified that he never intended to portray Mr. Trump as a fool or to arm his American political adversaries, who often depict the president as either a buffoon or an unstable authoritarian. “People assume I’m ridiculing Trump, but that’s not my aim at all,” he asserted, explaining his sole desire is to ‘capture attention’ and offer Western audiences a glimpse into the vibrant, comedic facets of Chinese life that he believes are often overlooked.
Chen expressed a desire to visit the United States someday, hoping to even meet his real-life counterpart, an encounter he believes would significantly boost his online presence. Born an only child in Chongqing, Chen was raised in a humble family; his mother was employed at a now-defunct state textile factory, while his father worked transporting cargo along the Yangtze River, from Chongqing to Shanghai.
Initially, Chen ventured into social media as a ‘contingency plan,’ worried about the impact of China’s collapsing property market on his architectural design career. His initial vlogging attempt—a series of weight-loss tips—proved unsuccessful; he ended up gaining weight and attracted only a handful of followers. “I learned the hard way that without tangible results, you won’t gain followers,” he reflected, humorously adding, “I’m overweight, and I don’t make excuses.”
His subsequent English-teaching videos saw more success but still fell short of his aspirations. Early this year, shortly after the president’s inauguration, Chen pivoted to impersonating Mr. Trump, recognizing a promising path to social media stardom through their shared weight concerns and his exceptional mimicry skills. “Nobody is more famous than Trump,” he remarked, recalling his student days at a Chengdu university watching “The Apprentice,” where he first found Mr. Trump endlessly entertaining.
His primary ambition, he revealed, is to showcase Chongqing, a sprawling megacity boasting over 30 million inhabitants. With its trains weaving through mountain-built multi-story buildings, Chongqing exudes a futuristic atmosphere that has captivated leading social media influencers. American content creator superstar Darren Jason Watkins, famously known as iShowspeed or Speed, visited earlier this year, appearing alongside Chen on camera, which significantly elevated the Chinese celebrity’s profile.
Chen realized the true potential of his Trump persona when a plagiarist in California, also from Chongqing, began re-uploading his videos from Douyin to TikTok. The plagiarist even proposed a 50/50 revenue split, but Chen, leveraging a ChatGPT-generated cease and desist letter designed to mimic a lawyer’s official warning, successfully prompted the fake account to remove his content. “He was merely a copycat. I am the genuine ‘fake’ Trump; he’s just a fake,” Chen declared. But, he added: “I have no desire to create adversaries. I’m simply a vlogger aiming to shed some pounds and earn a living.”